Several years ago they were the protagonist in a CG animated film by Pixar and yet another by DreamWorks Animation.
Cute.
They are revered as wise when compared to the lazy grasshopper and the subject of several proverbs and axioms.
They are small, mostly harmless and virtually unnoticed. That is, until they swarm.
Have you ever kicked an ant hill? More specifically, a fire ant hill? Most Texans will immediately grimace when they read this. If you're not from Texas, Google it. They're nasty bastards. They swarm by the hundreds looking to viciously attack whatever it is that disturbed their nest.
Oh, and they sting. Yes, sting. It may seem like they bit you but they didn't. They stung you. That's right. These nasty creatures grab onto your skin with their mandibles and unleash an unholy terror striking dozens of times from the stinger in their abdomen. In fact, by the time you "feel" the sting, they've already impaled you at least 30 times... and they won't stop until you kill them or flick them from your now tender skin.
I'll say it again, they're nasty bastards.
But that's not the point of my writing.
Little black sugar ants have recently welcomed themselves to my home. In comparison to the hellacious fire ant, they were almost welcome. They appeared curious at first. They would wander the floor or countertop like Ernest Hemingway on a safari adventure exploring uncharted territory tackling large obstacles in search of something.
I didn't pay much attention to them. Squashed one here and there. Then, they kept coming. How many is that now-- 10, 40, 100, maybe 1,000? I've killed numerous ants under my thumb and they keep showing up. How can something so small invade my home and cause such unrest? I've put out traps, cleaned tirelessly and even sprayed them with chemicals to rid them from my home. It's ant-mageddon.
Yet, they persist. Now, they appear in smaller numbers and with less activity but yet they still find a way.
What else has invaded my domain that is seemingly small and insignificant like that ant? When it comes to Spiritual matters, there is no such thing as a harmless invader no matter how trivial or seemingly irrelevant. Maybe it's a scout looking for a breach. Maybe it's a an army ready for a direct onslaught. Whatever IT is, it matters. Why? Because my Nemesis knows no bounds. Nothing is insignificant. Everything matters to him.
The lesson that I'm learning from these ants is that having a strong, un-breachable perimeter is essential. Without daily walking my Spiritual Domain and claiming my Spiritual authority in Christ over the Land of my Soul, I'm allowing cracks and fissures in my perimeter and you can guarantee that the Enemy is watching. This is why every day I spend at least 30 minutes praying an adapted and personalized version of the Daily Prayer For Freedom over my life and claim my rightful Identity in Christ.
Additionally, no invader is insignificant. Now, without getting all overly spiritualized like, "My phone battery died. It must be an attack!" Let me offer this instead: if and when invasion of your Domain happens, get curious. Become an observer of your life. What else is going on? What might this point to? Where am I in relation to Jesus in this moment? What else is true at this moment? (Ask Jesus) What's happening in the Spiritual realm that I need to pay attention to?
Ants are small.
Ants are quiet.
Ants are not to be overlooked.