6 Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,
8 Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to [c]rest”—
11 Your poverty will come in like a [d]vagabond
And your need like [e]an armed man.
The message here seems pretty clear, but is worth thinking on a bit. Solomon speaks of the ants, and if you’ve ever watched them, boy are they busy. They are quite unlike people, and don’t need a chief–yes they have a queen, but as far as I know, she doesn’t command anything, but has the sole job of producing more ants. At any rate, they work hard, as if their lives depend on it, because they do.
But, hold on a second, our works don’t save us, and our lives are not our own. They depend on God, and that’s enough, right? So do you think God will do everything and just let you sit in your easy chair and enjoy His blessings? Absolutely, there is a time for rest, as God made it one of the top ten commandments. Yet Jesus made it clear, in the parable of the talents, that God expects us to be diligent and hard-working with the gifts He entrusts to us.
So no, your works won’t and can’t save you, but God has given each of us gifts, talents, abilities. He desires, and I think is thrilled, when we put them to good use. They aren’t for burying in the sand, or “hiding under a bushel”, no! Be diligent in all you do, do it as unto the Lord, because He is our chief and our master. For you, Jesus sweat drops of blood, I think a bit of hard work is the least we can do in return.