Proverbs 6:6-11 “Why Ants Don’t Have Snooze Buttons”

“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

“How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep – so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.”

I think snooze buttons make no sense. When the alarm goes off, get up. If you have time to ‘snooze’ for 30 minutes, just set the alarm for 30 minutes later. Then you will get uninterrupted sleep. One day I mentioned this to my oldest son and he responded, “Dad, you’re right. Right now, snooze buttons make no sense, but when the alarm goes off at 5 o’clock in the morning, they make a lot of sense.” I suppose that is some form of the Theory of Relativity.

Regardless of whether you are for or against snooze buttons, you should stand firmly against slothfulness. This is one of the easiest traps for people to fall into, especially in our day of television, internet, and a plethora of other electronic distractions. Often, we don’t even realize we are being lazy because we are busy. We are deceived into thinking that we need more sleep, we need more time surfing the web, we need to see the latest episode. All the while, life passes us by and we fail to accomplish all that God has designed for us.

The solution? Observe the ant. Everything the ant does is done with a purpose of storing up for the winter, collecting food for later use. The ant does not get distracted by things that don’t matter to its one purpose. No one tells the ant to get out of bed and get busy doing something useful. Ants have no need of snooze buttons because they are diligent. God designed the ant with unwavering diligence, and we can learn from it. Here are some questions to help you get started.

• Am I doing what is most important as opposed to what entertains me?
• If for the next five years I keep doing what I have done in the last 30 days, will it have a meaningful outcome?
• Will what I am doing now count in 5 years? 10 years? Eternity?
• Do I enjoy gadgets more than the study of God’s Word?

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 10:4; 13:4; 20:4; Romans 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:6

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“There are lazy minds as well as lazy bodies.” – Benjamin Franklin

Proverbs 25:28 “Self-Control: Protector & Defender”

“Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit.”

A man with no self control is in extreme danger. Self control is like a strong wall built around a city which serves a two-fold purpose: protection by limitation and defense from outside marauders.

In ancient times, walls around cities limited the people from coming and going. In this way, self-control protects you by giving you the ability to limit yourself to that which is right and wise. As an example, in the financial world, this will allow you to limit your spending, permitting you to accumulate money and invest it wisely (e.g. in the spreading of the gospel).

The second purpose of the city’s wall was to provide a defense from enemies. Self-control defends you from outside marauders who would take advantage of you from giving into your passions (anger, love, etc.), appetites (food, sex, etc.), and will (impulsive spending, etc). Again, in the area of finance, there are plenty of people who will take your money if you lack self control. These are not limited to obvious scams and get-rich-quick schemes, but also debt institutions (e.g. credit card companies) which will be glad to put you in bondage.

As Christians, we are fortunate to have self-control as a fruit of the Spirit. By faithful growth in the Scriptures and walking in the Spirit, we can have the wonderful protection and defense.

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 16:32; 22:24; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27; Galatians 5:23; Titus 2:2

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“What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don't want to discourage it completely.”  - Franklin P. Jones 

Proverbs 17:27-28 “Cool Silent Wisdom”

“He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.”

Here are two ways to show yourself wise.

1. The first way is by controlling your tongue. The wise man uses his words sparingly, taking time to consider what to say before saying anything. When he does speak, the words have purpose. Never underestimate the power of silence. It is so powerful, that even a foolish person may be considered wise if he holds his tongue.

2. The second way is by having a “cool spirit”, i.e. not being given to anger but having a good temper. This is controlling your actions, or better, your reactions.

Of course, both ways of showing yourself wise are related. Indeed, find a man who controls his tongue, and you will usually find a man who controls his temper, and vise versa.  Why is this? Because both require self-control and both require you to pause and think first.

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 15:2; 16:32; James 3:4-10

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“A cool head with a warm heart is an admirable composition.” –Albert Barnes