Matthew 25:8 – “Then the foolish bridesmaids said to the
wise bridesmaids, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.”
One thing I didn’t discuss regarding verse 5 is that the
bridesmaids were sleeping, something Jesus is warning his disciples against. They
were not prepared and ready for the bridegroom. This is especially true for
those who brought no oil with them. Had they not been sleeping they could have
spent the time acquiring oil. Instead, they slept. And while none of them
should have been sleeping, the wise bridesmaids get off without condemnation,
and the foolish ones are left without enough oil.
How often do we run ourselves down without replenishing our
oil? How often do we think we can do just one more thing and find out we’ve
gone too far? American culture doesn’t exactly encourage treating ourselves and
our bodies with love. We’re more likely to use the phrase “no pain, no gain,” than
to recognize our need for rest and replenishment. To the extent that I am good
at knowing when to stop, it’s because lupus makes it necessary to do so. I’ve
had thirty years’ experience! And it is still hard. My desires for ministry,
travel, work, entertainment far outstrip my ability to participate fully in
them. I understand wanting to do more than is wise.
I think part of being prepared for Jesus’ return or death or
however the Holy Spirit will disrupt our lives, is taking care of our bodies,
our minds, and our spirit. We are not machines built to run 24 hours a
day. We have limits, and so often we want to ignore those limits for a variety
of reasons. In the short term this isn’t usually a problem. It becomes a
problem when such activity becomes our lifestyle. If we are not worn out
physically, spiritually, and mentally, it will be easier to deal with a car
that suddenly stops working, or a death in the family, or any sort of bad news.
It will even be easier for us to celebrate good news. It will be easier to accept
the disruption of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We will find ourselves more
open to people and circumstances when we are not running on empty or low on fuel.
Maybe today is a good to check in with our bodies, and ask
ourselves where we might be low on oil.
B
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