A Lesson In Laziness

Proverbs 6:6 says “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.”

I am working my way through a brand new book titled “Polished Cornerstones – Projects for Daughters on the Path to Womanhood“. There’s a chapter on diligence and page 161 recommends moms read this Proverbs 6 passage with their daughters.

God says “Go to the ant” to learn a lesson about laziness. So we did just that! After receivng the containter as a birthday present, the ants arrived in the mail!

We watched the ants work together to move the sand and build their tunnels. At night when it was dark, they all huddled together at the top of the hill. But when day light hit, they got busy and all day long they worked worked worked. No one told them what to do. They simply work. They are amazing homemakers.

As we observed the ants, we discussed all the life lessons that God wants us to learn. It’s easy to rise from our bed feeling slothful. These “lazy” summer days without the normal routine of school work, can send the kids into a feeling of resentment when I ask something of them.

There there’s the excuses. Proverbs 26:13 “The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” The children haven’t tried this excuse yet – but they’ve used plenty others.

We must teach our children to be diligent and not make excuses. So the next time you see an ant hill rather than running for bug spray, pause for a moment, invite the children to come check it out – there is a lesson from God’s word your children need to hear!

Walk with the King!

It’s Raising Homemaker’s Wednesday Link up! Check out other blog posts from the book Polished Cornerstones.

I’m also linked at Word Filled Wednesday’s and Wordful Wednesday.

21 Comments

  1. This is so cool! I'll have to add this to the list to get. I was thinking butterfly pavilion next spring. Great lesson too-

    Found your button on another site and thought I'd visit. I'm a new follower

  2. Hey Courtney —

    I love watching you seek out simple ways to teach God's truth to your children. It encourages me that some day I will be able to do so as well.

  3. I sometimes think in my non working years that this verse is my biggest "ouchie" verse.
    Good one.

  4. Great lesson! We bought our four year old this same ant hill for his birthday. We do not have any ants yet, but looking forward to watching them now after this post! Thanks!

  5. Awesome lesson. For me. I'm afraid I need to work on me before I attempt to pass it on to my children. **blushing**
    It is easy to be slothful during the summer. As here we sit. The kids watching cartoons (although they are playing more than watching-and even including their 3yo sister) and me in my workout clothes…the baby is napping. I should be WORKING!

  6. Can you share where you found your ant farm?? I would love to get one for nature study this year!

  7. We've had a couple different ant farms! They are a lot of fun to watch, and a lot of lessons can be learned from them!
    It looks like you all are having a great time!

  8. What a great lesson! I have this book and love it, we are planning on starting in a few weeks probably with school, but the kids could use this lesson NOW!!! All of them, boy included;)

  9. That is a great lesson. We own Polished Cornerstones, and I am currently setting myself aside so I don't say something I will have to repent of to my daughters who are work resistant as new teens. You hit the mark for me today.

  10. I completely agree about teaching our children to be diligent and hard workers….seems like these traits are going by the wayside these days. Sadly.

  11. Nice post. I have only boys and they like bugs. This would be a good thing to try at our.

    I also have the Doorposts book for boys "Plants Grown Up" (the opposite of "Polished Cornerstones").

  12. I have 4 girls. Can't wait to see the book! We did the ant thing. Great lessons. Thanks for sharing your insights.
    You're a great encourager to be the kind of mom and wife I want to be and God wants me to be.

  13. Tracy – that book sounds awesome! I need to get my hands on that!!! Thanks for mentioning it!
    Courtney

  14. I keep reading about the Cornerstones books over at Raising Homemakers. It is definitely on my "to buy" list but I wonder how much of a priority it is with a 3.5 year old. Can I still use it?

  15. Michelle – she may be a little young but she will be ready any month now – so if it fits in your budget I HIGHLY recommend it!

    Courtney

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