Imitate the ant

“Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.” Proverbs 6:6 BSB

In an article published by Runner’s World on February 8, it was said that the benefits of walking for heart health were greater when a person picked up the pace. Whether you’re taking a walk as a way to boost running performance goals with an active recovery day or just grabbing a movement-filled lunch break, a new study in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society suggests you can make the activity more heart-friendly with one easy hack: Pick up the pace. Researchers looked at just over 25,000 women ages 50 to 79 over a period of about 17 years and found that those who walked at a fast pace of over 3 mph had a 34 percent lower risk of heart failure in that time period compared to casual-pace walkers at under 2 mph. Even an average pace of between 2 to 3 mph made a difference, with a 27 percent lower risk. In terms of why walking pace would make such a significant difference in heart health, the recent study’s senior author Charles Eaton, M.D., professor of epidemiology at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, told Runner’s World that the answer may be simple: You get more activity in a shorter amount of time. That is, you can see heart benefits at a slower pace, but it would take you a much longer duration to get the same boost as you would with a faster pace.

And you know, when it comes to getting more activity done in a shorter amount of time, Solomon advised us to “walk in the manner of the ant... observe its ways and become wise.” Solomon was speaking wisdom to the “slacker” or person prone to laziness and telling them to imitate the ant, an insect known for being hard working, a team player, swift to perform its tasks, and determinedly laborious. Solomon was trying to get the “slacker” to understand that the difference between success and failure, between potential disappointed or potential fulfilled, was hard work.

So resist the urge to merely go about your work in a leisurely fashion or speed my friend. Pick up the pace so that you can get more done in a shorter amount of time. This will allow you to make the best use of the hours and minutes you have and set yourself apart as a person who works for the Lord rather than human masters.

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we are to work hard at whatever it is You have called us to do. Doing this will not only allow us to get more done in a shorter amount of time at work but will give us more time to do the Kingdom work that is so important. Help us to imitate the work ethic of the ant Lord so that we can be glorify You by the works of our hands. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!!!