What a Bee Taught Me Over Coffee This Morning

As I sat with my cup of coffee this morning, I noticed a little bee buzzing around a flower. The flower was still tightly closed, and the bee was trying to get in, poking and prodding at the petals.

At first, it looked a little hopeless. The flower just wouldn’t budge.

But as the sun rose higher and warmed the air, the flower slowly started to open, and just like that, the little bee slipped inside.

Watching that small moment made me smile.

It reminded me that sometimes, life is about patience, perseverance, and timing.

It also got me thinking about how much we can actually learn from bees and their beautiful, busy lives.

Here are a few lessons I felt God whisper to my heart this morning:

1. Purposeful Living

Every bee in a hive has a role.

Some gather nectar, some guard the entrance, some care for the young, and the queen simply is who she’s meant to be.

No bee tries to be anything other than what it was created for.

It’s the same for us.

God has given each of us a unique purpose. We weren’t created to be copies of someone else; we were created to be exactly who He intended.

Ephesians 2:10 says:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Pause and think: Are you busy trying to be someone else, or are you walking confidently in who God made you to be?

2. The Power of Unity

A bee can’t make honey alone. It takes thousands of bees working together to build a hive, care for the young, and create that sweet golden honey we all enjoy.

God designed us for community too.

We were never meant to do life alone.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 reminds us:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour.

When we bring our strengths together and support one another, we can accomplish so much more than we could on our own.

Pause and think: How are you contributing to the "hive" God has placed you in?

3. Diligence and Perseverance

That little bee this morning didn’t give up when the flower was closed.

It kept trying until the moment was right.

Bees are persistent. They gather tiny drops of nectar over and over again, flying long distances, just to make a small amount of honey.

It doesn’t seem like much at first, but over time, their faithful work produces something precious.

Galatians 6:9 encourages us:

Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Pause and think: Are you trusting the process, even when you don’t see immediate results?

4. Sacrificial Service

Bees don’t live for themselves. They live for the good of the hive.

They work hard, often to the point of exhaustion, so that the whole colony can thrive.

This is such a powerful picture of the life God calls us to live, one of love, service, and sacrifice.

John 15:13 says:

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Pause and think: How are you serving others with a heart like Christ’s?

5. Creating Sweetness in the World

Bees turn ordinary nectar into something sweet, nourishing, and lasting.

In the same way, God can take the everyday moments of our lives and use them to create something beautiful if we allow Him to work through us.

Proverbs 16:24 reminds us:

Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

Our words, our actions, our kindness, they matter more than we know.

Pause and think: Are you spreading sweetness or bitterness with your words and your life?

Final Thought

That little bee this morning didn’t know I was watching.

It wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

It was simply doing what it was created to do, faithfully, patiently, and with purpose.

May we live the same way:

Busy with the right things.

Serving with joy.

Working in unity.

Spreading sweetness wherever we go.

Because even when no one else sees it, heaven is watching, and cheering us on.