AUGUST 26, 2025

 “It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?” 

― Henry David Thoreau, Letters to Various Persons

PSALM 128-131

1My heart is not proud, Lord,

my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters

or things too wonderful for me.

2But I have calmed and quieted myself,

I am like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child I am content. (131:1-2)

1 CORINTHIANS 7:25-40

 I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

JOURNAL 

Thoreau once asked, “It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?” That question sets the tone for Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 7. He writes from a place of being completely sold out to his mission, and this is why he makes it clear that these commands are suggestions from his own perspective.

Soldiers in the midst of battle have completely sold out to their mission. They have to be or else they will cower, run, freeze, or act irrationally. This does not happen overnight. It comes through months of training, breaking down old habits, and wearing away dependence on modern comforts. They must also let go of any delusions of grandeur and be committed to following orders.

Reality is that it is much the same with us in following God. However, the ultimate objective is not external, but internal. The Psalmist captures this when he says, “I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content” (Psalm 131:2). That image of quieting the mind and becoming content shows us where true strength comes from. It is born from internal peace, when external anxieties have stilled and the heart rests in one single purpose: the acceptance of God’s love and the pursuit of following him in all things.

Then God gives us a mission, a role we were designed for, and one that once embraced fills us with passion and purpose. This passion and purpose is what ultimately gives us joy, hope, endurance, courage, and perseverance to walk through the fires of life in a way that honors God. But in order to receive this and live it fully, we have to be sold out to God and to his story.

Paul reminds us that even in the midst of life’s complexities, “those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this” (1 Corinthians 7:28). His perspective is not anti-marriage but is rooted in urgency, clarity, and mission. His example challenges us to examine whether our industriousness is merely busy like the ant, or whether it is aligned with God’s call.

Finally, we come back to the promise of Romans: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). This is the assurance that steadies us. God’s love is not abstract but active, moving through the quieting of our hearts, the mission we embrace, and the perseverance we cultivate. It is not enough to simply be industrious. We must be industrious about the right things...God’s purpose and God’s kingdom.

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whoⁱ have been called according to his purpose. 

ROMANS 8:28