Friday, July 20, 2012

With An Ant’s Focus

Written by Gail Morris

Is your best never good enough? Talk to a mentor. 
“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer…” (Proverbs 30:24-25)
While in an Ecuadorian rainforest, our group came across a long trail of army ants. They were thorough and determined to build their home. Proverbs 30:24 tells us that although ants are small, they are extremely wise. The ant highway was proof. There was a clean swath four inches wide across our leaf-littered walking trail. It was as slick as a newly waxed car. Busy workers raced in a straight line on this spic-and-span patch of dirt. Each followed the previous worker up the bark of an ancient tree, then, disappeared into dense foliage.

Nothing stopped the insects from their final destination along their miniature highway. Even when our big human feet blocked the road, these deliberate creatures remained on task. As I watched this little miracle in the middle of the rainforest, God reminded me I needed to do the same thing.Focus.
God asks us to focus on our final destination, but I wander about. I spread myself thin, become involved in too many things. For example, when I was asked to be on the women’s board at my church, I found myself drawn to it because it’s a giving group that organizes purposeful events. Yet, was it my call to say yes? It’s often difficult to say no when ministry is involved.
During any given day, there are many paths and adventures that bind my time and effort. I need to be like an ant – focused and determined to reach my God-planned destination.
Would God want me to say yes to a request from the church? Was I the person for the position, or would I steal a blessing from someone else better suited to the task? I thought I would do a good job but His best is always better than my good. After weeks of prayer, I said no thank you to the board. Now I understand to be like an ant, I need to stay on God’s path and complete the tasks He assigned.
Father, Keep my eyes on You, focused on the things that stir Your heart.  Amen
Questions: How do you keep focused? Do you feel called in a certain area but find yourself on side paths?

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