Peculiar Okafor: Life Lessons from Insects

I guess if I called you a Locust, Spider or an Ant, you’d feel insulted.

I was reading the book of Proverbs and came across some verses that practically glorified these animals. The Bible referred to them as seemingly small yet exceedingly wise.

• The Ants – A people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer.
• The Locusts – Have no king yet go forth all of them in bands.
• The Spider – Takes hold with her hands, and is found in kings’ palaces.

These insects have survived situations that should seemingly kill them and for this they are recognized as strong.

Certain traits are common to them;

• The have an honest view of themselves; they know what their strengths and weakness are. A feeble people, lack of a king, e.t.c. They know that these could stand in their way. They also know that by the strength of their numbers, they can prepare their meat early, move in bands. The spider knows that her ability to spin will take her places.
• They have an honest view of the world; and they do not expend time and energy bemoaning what could be or living in euphoria/ in an idealist world.
• They make the best of their circumstances; because they have an honest view of themselves and the world, they are able to take the best decisions on how well to not just survive but win in their world and they take action. These insects are‘highly adaptable’
• They mind their own business; they face their work. They do not spend time in unnecessary debates over nothing. They know that witnessing with words is one of the worst ways. They know that each specie is on their own path and journey. One of the ways to bring positive change is to model such behaviour. Ants are a model of organisation. I guess if the ants could talk, people would pay to listen to for organisational tips.

In conclusion, the insects remind us the importance of the following traits;

Meekness
It takes meekness to have an honest appraisal of oneself, the world around them and decide to learn what needs to be learnt. Note that meekness has often been associated with teachability.

Adaptability
It has been said that the reasonable man adapts himself to fit the world, while the unreasonable man forces the world to adapt to him.

Responsibility
No matter how seemingly disadvantaged we are, we are to take responsibility for our lives and make the best out of it.

Confidence
We have something going for us and with diligence and discipline, we will maximize our potential.

Diligence and discipline
All the traits above will mean nothing if we do not diligently apply ourselves daily to our success. A great man once said, ‘life is so daily’. Consistent steps taken diligently will take us to our God given destination.

P.S
That portion of the Bible is Proverbs 30: 24-29.

Photo Credit: Stefan Dahl Langstrup | Dreamstime.com