Being Intentional In Our Walk With God
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Matt 25:1-12
The Parable of the Ten Virgins is a simple illustration that reminds the Bride of Jesus Christ to always be prepared for our walk of faith through our relationship with Jesus. As a Bride of Jesus, we must prepare ourselves for the coming of our Bridegroom, although we do not know the day or hour of His return. Everything that we do and every decision that we make here on Earth will make an impact on our eternal life. Everything in this world is temporary ( 2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.), so let’s not make a big deal of it. The real deal is our eternal life in Christ, and we must continuously fix our eyes on the things that are heavenly things, rather than worldly things. At the same time, remember that we are to bring heaven on earth.
The five wise virgins represent believers who are constantly immersed in the presence of God, which is the oil of our lamps. The oil is the presence of God; we remain intimate in our relationship with the LORD by spending time with Him and His Word on a daily basis. The five foolish virgins only had their lamps with them. Though their lamps provided them light, it didn’t last until the coming of the Bridegroom. This story warns us not to slack off or grow lazy in our walk of faith. Sometimes, our soul may begin to sleep if we don’t keep watch of our mind and heart, spending more time in the world and less with God.
The five wise virgins were intentional, as they brought extra oil. They were intentional and determined to meet with the Bridegroom, which is why even as they became drowsy along the way, they were still prepared for the return of the Bridegroom, for they had carried extra oil with them. The five foolish virgins did not think about preparing for the days ahead. They were focused on the present and assumed that what they had was enough, but they were wrong. In the end, the five foolish virgins were not able to present themselves as potential Brides for the Bridegroom.
That is why we must be intentional in our walk with God. Let us be intentional in our seeking of Him daily and in our continuous growth in Him. Let us not remain in a state of satisfaction to the point that we stagnate in our relationship and personal walk with God. We don’t know when the return of Jesus Christ will occur, but one thing we desire is to be prepared when He comes. Let us become like the five wise virgins who brought extra oil by keeping the flame in our hearts burning, primarily by spending more time with God and less time with the world. As we continuously fix our eyes on Jesus and accomplish the Father’s will on earth, we can be sure that Jesus Christ will find us, enabling us to be married to Him upon His return.
