Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.
Solomon said, “Go watch the ant…” (Proverbs 6:6).
King Solomon never saw the movie A Bug’s Life, but I’ve seen it enough for both of us. Some movies we watch over and over because we love them. Some we watch over and over because we love someone that loves them. A Bug’s Life fits the latter for me. The things we do for our kids, right? Thankfully, with A Bug’s Life, there were at least some deeper life lessons to consider.
For example, the movie addresses the obstacles people face at work and in life. There’s a scene when the line of ants was broken and it stopped them in their tracks. A simple solution got them moving again, but it was paralyzing for the moment. Big or small, obstacles at work can do the same to us. And we all know how elusive the solution to the problem can be at times. When the problems are big I remind myself of something one of my mentors shared with me. He said, “If it wasn’t for problems you most likely wouldn’t have a job. Your job is to fix problems. And if it’s a really big problem, God must think a lot of you to give you the chance to figure out how to fix it.”
In the movie, many frowned on innovation, but creativity ended up bringing solutions to many of the ants’ obstacles. In the rhythm of your work week, how much is routine that doesn’t change from day to day? How much of it requires developing something new? Like new relationships, new methods, new content, new services, new reports, new research, etc.? Do you embrace both the routine and the new?
Here’s one more observation from A Bug’s Life: When they all worked together and accomplished their goal, they celebrated together. When was the last time you stopped and celebrated with your team? What have you accomplished together that is worth taking time to appreciate? Don’t just think of the last get-together. What about celebrations in the form of a conversation or handwritten letter? Or celebrations in the form of everyone taking a deep breath and knowing they just survived together? If you haven’t celebrated what you get to do yet this week, please take time to do so soon.
Even without seeing A Bug’s Life, King Solomon knew plenty about lessons we can learn from these tiny creatures. He thought it was wise to remind his sons in Proverbs chapters 6 and 30 of their work ethic. Let’s be wise and diligent as we go about the work God has given each of us to do this week.
“Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.” Proverbs 30:25
