6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— 11 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. (Proverbs 6:6 – 11, New International Version)
27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! (Luke 12:27 – 28, New International Version)
Theme: The Wisdom of Discipline
Title: Discipline and Daisies
Reflection:
In pursuit of a disciplined lifestyle, how do we reconcile our own efforts with our need to trust and depend on God? The Bible provides wise counsel in the two passages of Scripture we are considering today.
The passage in Proverbs draws our attention to the ant. The ant epitomizes disciplined effort and reminds us of the value of hard work. God has given us the ability to acquire current and future needs through the disciplined use of our skills and abilities. He expects us to use what we have been blessed with and not be lazy.
The passage in Luke draws our attention to a wildflower (e.g., a beautiful daisy). The wildflower relies on what its environment provides, and epitomizes an inescapable dependence on God. God cares about His creation, and His ability to supply all that we need is unrivaled.
Conclusion:
The disciplined acquisition of our needs using our skills and abilities is to be applauded. However, we must be mindful of our limitations and trust God to be the ultimate supplier of our needs. We can work like the ant, but we must always have the trust of the daisy!
What are some of the pitfalls of laziness on one hand and overreliance on our efforts on the other hand? Do any biblical examples come to mind? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Contributor: Norman Christie
April 8, 2025 at 7:20 am
The first example that comes to mind is Adam. God created a helpmate for him. He created the perfect job for him – caring for a beautiful garden and naming animals. All Adam’s needs were taken care of. He had the full attention of The Creator. Yet, he succumbed to the pitfalls of laziness of faith/belief and an over reliance on the words of others.
April 8, 2025 at 7:59 am
In the parable of the Talents Jesus presents an example of a servant who hides his masters money instead of investing it. This parable emphasizes the importance of using God-given abilities and opportunities for good, rather than letting them go to waste. We loose out on many opportunities when we are lazy. On the other hand over reliance on our own efforts can lead to burnout. Many of us try to be super parents or workers and we can become exhausted and even loose our motivation. Proverbs 3:5-7 urges us to trust in the Lord and his guidance and not ourselves as some of us try to do. I’m reminded about Nebuchadnezzar boasting about his achievements and ignoring God’s role and we know what his outcome was.
April 8, 2025 at 10:42 pm
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!”
Proverbs 6:6 NIV
“Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.”
Proverbs 10:4 NIV
These scriptures are good to reflect upon.
I always think that Christians who give importance to little details , small steps, being diligent and being humble are important when we take care of what the Lord has given us to be in charge of. We should not underestimate the value of resilience and hardworking. To balance work and rest , we need first to have a constant communication/ relationship with our God who gave us work and many provisions. I think if we know that our purpose is to give Him all the glory and honor, when we work or rest we can know how to balance it , for everything we have comes from our loving and compassionate God.
April 9, 2025 at 4:17 pm
One of my Devotional Readings for today was very much related to our topic so I share it here…
Work and Rest
God is not against human effort. Hard work honors God. But working to the exclusion of rest or to the neglect of family may be a cover-up for an inability to trust God to provide for our needs. We all need adequate rest and times of spiritual refreshment. On the other hand, this verse is not an excuse to be lazy. Be careful to maintain a balance: work while trusting God, and also rest while trusting him.
“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.”
Psalms 127:2 NIV