Are you running on empty?
In the parable of the 10 virgins, the 5 foolish virgins lacked the wisdom to prepare extra oil in case the bridegroom was late. The wise knew better.
Intelligence teaches faith that it needs to be prepared for struggles and difficulties. Not even all faith in the world could help you avoid struggles. They come. So we need to be wise, sensible, intelligent and be prepared for the day of evil. The easy life is an enemy of faith.
Navy Seals, the military unit that killed Bin Laden, have a saying: “Two is one, and one is nothing.” This saying reminds them to plan, to always have a backup plan, a plan B in case plan A fails…
True people of faith operate in the same mindset. They know that victory is certain, but that it may take longer, cost more, and be more difficult than expected. But because they have the oil of the Holy Spirit, their backup, they’re prepared for anything. The Holy Spirit is like a reserve of faith (an extra tank), that enables us to find strength in weakness, and to keep walking while others are collapsing.
If you continue to “burn the midnight oil” like the foolish virgins—allowing yourself to be consumed with problems, worry, excessive work, and fighting all by yourself without refilling your faith reserves, your oil will also be used up—even if you received the Holy Spirit at one time.
Those who are smart and sensible always ensure that their lamps are full of oil because they never know what tomorrow will bring.
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