6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
Proverbs 6:6-8
Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.
William Ellery Channing
As a writer, we are told that conflict moves a story. If there is no conflict, then there is no story. For a story to move forward, the protagonists must encounter roadblocks to their goals, or it would be very boring. Usually it is the struggles that help the protagonist grow and become stronger in preparation for reaching their goal. This isn’t just good fiction writing technique; it’s spiritual truth. So, what does considering an ant have to do with conflict? You’d be surprised what you can learn from an ant.
Scattered
32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:32-33
For example, have you ever stepped on an ant hill and watched them scatter? Within minutes ants are back at work rebuilding what was torn down, and they do it quickly. No matter how many times you step on that ant bed, they will rebuild. On Good Friday I think the disciples were a little like the ants after someone stepped on their hill. They were scattered in fear and dismay but only for a moment.
Like the ants, the disciples were shocked and dismayed, but then came the Resurrection later followed by Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit filled the disciples, they set to work spreading the Good News. However, it wasn’t until the church began to be persecuted that the Gospel began to spread further abroad. Every time the enemy stepped on their ant hill, they scattered but came back stronger.
Earthly Perspective
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
The Jews were looking for a Messiah who would be a king from a worldly perspective. They were looking for someone to come in and rescue them from the Romans. God had a much bigger plan in mind. He wanted to rescue not just the Jews but the whole world, and not just for now but for eternity.
He had to squash their perceptions about what a true conqueror looked like so that He could bring them the greater victory. People today are trying to save the planet, but God has plans to completely restore it by destroying what is to make room for what is to come: a new heaven and a new earth. We need to move from a worldly perspective to an eternal perspective. What is it that God wants to do in a given situation?
Eternal Perspective
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20
Before he ascended, Christ gave the disciples new marching orders. The Good News was not just for the Jews, it was for the whole world. Every time they tried to limit God He would step on their ant hill and widen the playing field. The persecution of the church has always led to a spreading of the gospel further into the world often in ways no one could predict. The enemy is always trying to destroy the church, but God uses it to make something good and usually on a scale we could not imagine.
Conflict moves the story. Sometimes it takes conflict to move Christians; otherwise, we become stagnant and stale. In order for the church and individual Christians to be effective, we have to be moving forward. Forward movement in a story starts with an inciting incident and then escalating conflict moves the characters toward their goal. The inciting incident as Christians is our conversion and commitment to Christ. As we move toward the goal of being more like Christ, there will be escalating conflict. It is a given but so is the peace and presence of God.
Dream Big
Jesus warned the disciples that there would be tribulation in this world, but He also told them that He has already won the victory. Expect conflict but also expect victory. When someone steps on your ant hill, take a look around. Maybe God is trying to expand your borders. Consider this: what if God allows someone to step on your ant hill because you were planning on too small a scale? Sometimes he has to squash our dreams to make room for a bigger one. Don’t let conflict stop you; let it propel you forward. Dream Big! Be Courageous! He has already conquered the world!
Has God turned a setback into a victory in your life? Share your story in the comments.
Just like the song below says, Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection changed everything!
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Creative analogy. Nice correlations.