Proverbs 6:8

The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them. 

Proverbs 6:8

she prepares her bread in summer

and gathers her food in harvest.

There is a popular trend in our society among those who are young.  They like to take a “gap” year.   It is supposed that there is some real value to take off, like the wind, to discover life and to center your axis.   However, this is not so for Solomon.   Apparently he was taught different than our current culture.   Notice that he talks about our “industry” being something along the lines of the “ant.”   Ants, according to Solomon, don’t take gap years.  In the above passage the “she” is an ant.  Note the complete context:

Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, O sluggard;

consider her ways, and be wise.

Without having any chief,

officer, or ruler,

she prepares her bread in summer

and gathers her food in harvest.

The ant, compared to the sluggard, is very industrious and uses their energy when they can, to gather the materials necessary to “prepare bread.”   Taking a gap year does not make one sluggish.  But, it certainly is not industrious, either (Some would maintain that you are industrious in a gap year, but industrious in a different way.). Solomon, in this text, is teaching us to be industrious while we can.   When we are old and can no longer gather in harvest, we have a problem.   Solomon is teaching us that wisdom (that is the point of all Solomon’s writings) teaches us that when we have opportunity (youthfulness, strength, good health) we ought to prepare for the future.  We ought to be industrious today if we want to have something at the “harvest” time later.   We should not go to extremes, however.  There are good teachings about getting away to pray and seek God in solace.   But, we are, when we have the chance, to be working in the present so we can harvest in the future.  Taking a gap year, especially at the expense of someone else, does not necessarily fit into Solomon’s wisdom, here.   He is seeing wisdom as using opportunity to prepare for the future.  If the gap year prepares you for the future, that would fit.  But, the idea for Solomon is preparing today for a good tomorrow.