Wisdom From The Ant Hill
Some Big Lessons From Tiny Creatures
Have you ever thought about how many ants there are on Earth?
Scientists estimate that there are about 20 quadrillion ants on this planet! To put that incredible number into perspective, that’s about 2.5 million ants for every single human being on Earth. Ants are everywhere! They live on every continent (except for Antartica), and they inhabit almost every ecosystem. If you were to gather the weight of all ants together, their combined biomass would be greater than all wild birds and mammals combined. There is truly no shortage of ants, and there are over 12,000 known species of these tiny creatures in existence.
Ants might abundant, but they certainly aren’t very popular. In fact, they are largely viewed as a nuisance. They can invade our homes as unwelcome guests, especially when they are searching for food. Carpenter ants can damage property as they dig through wood to build their nests. Fire ants and bullet ants also have painful stings that can be harmful to humans and animals alike, especially to those who are allergic to insect venom. Additionally, ants are hard to eradicate, and they multiply rapidly.
Even though ants might not be your favorite creation of God, you’ve got to admire their complex design and see God’s handiwork in their behavior. Though small and seemingly insignificant, the Scriptures actually point to ants for their wisdom. Notice a couple of passages from the Old Testament:
Proverbs 6:6-8 says, “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.“
Proverbs 30:24-28 says, “Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces.“
Each of these passages use the ant as a metaphor for wisdom, responsibility, hard work, and even humility. These texts remind us that God has lessons to teach us in his creation, and even the smallest of creatures can teach us profound truth. Ants are incredible critters. Here are few spiritual lessons we can learn from them:
Ants demonstrate the value of hard work.
Ants are the antithesis of laziness! These tiny creatures are always hard at work doing something. They work for something bigger than their immediate gratification—they tirelessly labor for their future survival. Additionally, their strength-to-size ratio is incredible! God has designed ants with the ability to carry weight 10-50 times their own body weight. If we possessed this same level of strength, we would be able to lift a car with ease! No wonder King Solomon instructed the sluggard to learn from the hard work, diligent effort, and intense exertion of the ants.
God wants us mimic the work ethic and self-motivation of ants. The Lord values hard work, and he blesses those who are diligent in their labors. We should seek to put our all into everything we do, regardless of how mundane or insignificant it may seem. We should remember that our work is ultimately performed before the watchful eyes of God. As the apostle Paul said, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).
Ants are resilient and adaptable to change.
Ants are some of the most resilient creatures on the planet. They seem to always find ways to overcome obstacles, change paths, and even rebuild their homes if necessary. We’ve all tried to remove an ant hill, only to find it moved to a new spot in the lawn by the very next morning! Ants can overcome many barriers in their path, even using their own bodies to form bridges to navigate difficult terrain or make floating rafts to escape floods.
Similarly, we need to develop the resiliency of ants. Life is filled with ups, downs, twists, and turns. The changes of life can challenge our faith (see James 1:2-12, especially vv.9-11). It takes great trust in God and an unwavering commitment to the Lord’s plan to not be broken by the transitions of life. It’s comforting to remember that our situations may change, but “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We need to be willing to adapt to the curveballs life pithes our direction, and we can if we hold to God’s mighty and unchanging hand.
Ants understand the value of community.
Ants do not operate solo—they work together as a collective! Ants don’t thrive alone, but they succeed through cooperation and harmony with other another. Ant colonies are highly organized, and every ant knows its specific role. Ants don’t talk to one another like we do, but they use pheromones to leave scent trails, alert others to danger, and even communicate to coordinate attacks. Furthermore, ants even possess two stomachs. They use their first stomach for personal digestion, but they use their other stomach as a social stomach to share food with other ants through a process called trophallaxis.
God wants us to understand the value of community also. Christianity is a religion of relationships! Salvation enables us to be brought into a right relationship with God, but it also connects us with fellow believers within the family of God. We are all interconnected. As the apostle Paul said, “we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5). Ants inspire us to work together as a team, to communicate with one another as a family, and to humbly serve alongside one another without an ego. God calls us to live in harmony with one another and serve him with order and cooperation.
Conclusion
Ants might be small creatures, but God has tucked a lot of wisdom into their tiny bodies. God, in his infinite creativity, has some incredible lessons to teach us from even the smallest of his creatures. Ants teach us the rewards of hard work, resilience in the face of change and uncertainty, and the beauty of working well with others. If the tiny ants can live with such purpose, then certainly we can (and should) live with a deep purpose as well. After all, we have been formed in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), and our ultimate purpose should be to know and serve our Creator. Let’s be sure we are living up to our high place in God’s big creation. Don't forget to look down, learn from the ant, consider her ways, and be wise.