“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept” (Matthew 25:1–5).
Everyone had the same mindset to go to the same place for the same reason. Everyone was on their way, but partial action was taken by five of the virgins. The bridegroom had the capacity to care for all ten.
Everyone had a lamp, but everyone did not have oil to see Who they were waiting for. The oil was available, but five virgins did not take the initiative to get more oil. What they had was not enough for the journey they were on.
Five of the virgins were wise; they did what was needed to obtain more oil. The other five virgins were foolish, thinking that what they had was enough and that getting more would not be required or necessary. That assumption made them foolish and caused them to be out of position.
The bridegroom did not come right away, and everybody slept. The five wise virgins were resting. The five foolish virgins were lazy, if you ask me.
The difference was not in their rest, but in their readiness.
When the bridegroom arrived, the five foolish virgins had no light; the oil provided the light. They knew who the bridegroom was, but the oil needed to go further was lacking. They wanted to borrow from what the wise virgins had, and they said no.
There are some people you will need to say no to in wisdom. Those people cannot drain your oil when they had the same opportunity to get their own. They want to leech off of what you prepared for and were rewarded for having. They want to benefit from your anointing, your obedience, and your time spent with God when all of y’all were in the same place, for the same reason, and with the same opportunity to be received by the bridegroom.
There are moments when saying no is necessary, not out of selfishness, but out of obedience.
The five foolish virgins tried to rush and fix their mistake, but the door was closed when they returned. God is a God of timing and seasons. When He tells you to move and prepare, do it. Protect the oil that He has given you. Giving it away will drain you and cause you to be out of alignment and perhaps lazy because you gave what you should not have.
The foolish virgins wanted access to the bridegroom, but He told them that He did not know them. This is true. They were out of alignment and did not form the relationship they had the opportunity to form. They thought what they had was enough, but God wanted them to have more.
Consider what God is saying today. He wants you to have more, but you cannot be lazy in getting that more. Get in His face. Talk to Him. Seek Him. Ask Him questions in faith, believing He will answer.
- What is God asking you to prepare for right now?
- Are you relying on what once sustained you, or are you actively seeking more of Him today?
God is calling us higher, but we cannot be lazy in pursuing what He offers.
Lord, give me the mindset of the five wise virgins. I pray against laziness and procrastination. Give me the passion of Christ as I move forward in doing what You have asked me to do. Help me understand that it is not in my doing, but in my surrender. Help me to surrender all to You. Help me not to store oil that should be used. Fill my lamp with more of You so that my light will continue to burn for Your glory. Help me to be ready and pleasing in Your eyes. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Recommended Reading: Matthew 25:1–13
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