They are fascinating to watch while dragging an object many times their own body weight. Or they can be a terrible nuisance when you find a seemingly unending line of black insects trailing the kitchen counter. But most often, you walk right by them—destroying their highways, or even squashing them without noticing as they march down sidewalks.

While ants are everywhere, we generally think little of them. Yet the Bible tells us to study and learn from these insects: “Go to the ant…consider her ways, and be wise” (Prov. 6:6).

Dr. Edward Wilson is a foremost scientist in the field of myrmecology (the study of ants). After a childhood injury blinded his right eye, he began to look downward, becoming fascinated with the world of ants. In an interview for Quest TV, Dr. Wilson described the importance of these six-legged creatures: “The terrestrial world is a level of little things. It is owned by the ants. Ants alone make up upwards of two-thirds the weight of all insects. They dominate the environment, and they do it by complex social behavior. And yet, most people don’t know the slightest thing about them.”

Ants live across the globe. Their habitats range from the dry plains of Africa to the rainforests of South America. Some species build high-rising nests that tower over the flat savannah. Others are nomads, always scouring for the next food source. Fire ants have a painful bite, while black ants can spray their prey with acid. Some build “ant bridges,” with many insects clinging to one another and using their own bodies to close a gap. Members of another species are “farmers” that herd, care for, and milk “cattle” insects for sweet honeydew nectar.

No doubt, ants are amazing creatures. But what does Proverbs 6:6 really tell us to learn from these incredible insects?

Under the Magnifying Glass

On the PBS series NOVA, Dr. Wilson compared humans to lumbering, monster-movie dinosaurs: “We are sort of like the Godzillas of the world. We’re gigantic organisms and we walk, crunch across this world like Godzilla over New York. But if you started digging down, you would see that you are passing through numerous layers of different microenvironments.”

To the ant, this is a massive world. For us, however, we have to get on our hands and knees and intently study these creatures to begin to understand them.

Scientists estimate there are more than 10,000 species of ants worldwide, and they are still discovering more. Many colonies can house thousands or even millions of individual ants. Other colonies have only dozens of members.

Ants are known for Herculean strength. Some ants can pull objects 50 times their body weight. And ants can attack other insects that are much bigger than themselves. They will track down their prey and overpower it using sheer numbers—no matter how long it takes. Afterward, they will even dismember the much larger victim to carry the parts to their nest.

Because of their abundance, diversity and surprising ingenuity, it can be difficult to know what it means to “consider” an ant’s “ways, and be wise.” Should we learn to work together? To be resourceful? To have more strength? What is it about the ant world that God says we should learn?

Closer Look

Similar to the world of ants, to understand a verse in the Bible, we must peer more closely. One of the keys to Bible study is to read slowly and examine each word. With this in mind, look at Proverbs 6:6, again, this time the whole verse: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.”

The key word here is sluggard, which means someone who is slothful or lazy. This verse is a warning to anyone who avoids work.

Another rule of Bible study is to look at the verses around the one you are studying to understand the context. Verses 7-8 describe exactly what we are to learn: “Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

Ants tend to always be working. No one tells them what to do. Instead, they always busily find food for the colony or repair the ant hill.

What about you? Do you keep your eyes open for tasks that need to be accomplished? For example, if your room is cluttered, do you automatically clean it, or do your parents have to act as a “guide, overseer, or ruler” and remind you? Worse, do they have to remind you repeatedly?

The ant also plans for the future. Instead of putting off tasks, this creature takes care of assignments in an appropriate and timely way. Notice that it “provides meat [food] in the summer, and gathers food in the harvest.”

Continue to read Proverbs 6, and notice that it still relates to the topic of sluggishness: “How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?” (vs. 9).

Verse 10 reveals a typical response: “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.” In modern language, this attitude can be summed up as, “Just 10 more minutes, Mom!” Or it can be seen in a simple action, such as repeatedly hitting the “snooze” button on your alarm clock.

Now look at most ants, which have varied sleeping patterns: working ants take very short naps of often just a few seconds while the queen ant sleeps for a few minutes at a time. This means they only rest as much as they need to, then get right back to work. While the average person requires eight hours per night of sleep, remember the ant. When the alarm clock rings, rise up and start your day!

“Ant” Example

God has created the vast universe, including massive galaxies, our solar system, and complex ecosystems. Yet He chose the seemingly insignificant ant—a tiny six-legged creature to teach us important lessons in how to overcome laziness.

Ants make use of every moment that they have. In all their endeavors they utilize drive and illustrate resourcefulness, two laws necessary for success.

Next time you see an ant, do not merely walk by. Instead, take note, consider how they are always busy, and determine to have this quality yourself. Whenever you feel the urge to give up or put off a task, tell yourself: “Hey, sluggard, remember the ant! Hop to it!”