Be Prepared
by Jeff Reed
Jesus gave an engaging parable concerning the nature of the Kingdom of God in the life of His followers. Jesus tells a story about five foolish and five wise virgins.
“For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you’” (Matthew 25:3-12, ESV).
The story’s point is that the foolish virgins were unwise because they were unprepared. They did not buy oil for their lamps. And by analogy, Jesus tells the listeners not to be unprepared for the coming Kingdom of God. Many see this warning as specifically about being prepared for the Second Coming of Christ. The problem with that narrow interpretation is the vast majority of people who have read this parable have died without seeing the return of Jesus. Was this a warning for only those at the time of the end right before the return of Jesus? If not, what can the average Christian learn?
Notice what Jesus says next. “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13, ESV). Since no one knows when He is returning, we should always prepare for the return of Christ and the Kingdom of God. We know our life can and will likely conclude much sooner than before Jesus returns, and we must always be ready because our life can cease suddenly and without warning.
In my lifetime I remember childhood friends dying at a young age. Sometimes an undiagnosed heart problem may take a high school quarterback during a playoff game. The instances are rare, but it does happen. As I got older, I witnessed young adults dying off from accidents, cancer, homicide, aneurysms, etc. And now, as a middle-aged man, I suddenly notice whenever I read of someone near my age dying. I am interested in the circumstances. Was it unexpected? Did they have comorbidities? Then, I always consider my mortality. I have learned to accept that we will not be flesh and blood forever and that our end will surely come. And that is a good thing!
So what can we do as Christians to “watch” and be prepared for the Kingdom of God? I have three biblical suggestions to consider.
1. Don’t worry.
Worrying about the future is a waste of time for a Christian. I am often perplexed that so many Christians become obsessed with worrying that the end is near. They fear that the prophecies we read in the Bible may happen within the next few years of their life. This anxiety sometimes leads to a fundamental lack of judgment by believing every crackpot conspiracy theory or rogue would-be prophet. Sincere brethren have thought that our country was soon to be invaded, that there would quickly be prison camps for Christians established, or that a secret shadow world government was trying to poison or kill them through various nefarious means. I have heard these things throughout my life, and they have never come true. They manage to create anxiety when it is unnecessary.
As Christians, we may find ourselves in times of tribulation or difficulty in the future. We just don’t need to obsess or worry about it.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:25-32, ESV).
2. Seek the Kingdom of God first in our lives.
What does Jesus give as the solution to worrying now? “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV).
Seeking the Kingdom of God first is an act of faith. It is affirming to ourselves that we are here for a purpose. God called us to be a part of His plan, His Kingdom. If we genuinely believe this, we will have zeal and joy, allowing Jesus through His Spirit to cleanse us, justify us, and create His character of love in our lives.
3. Live in the Law.
“‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:36-40, ESV).
Learning to live by the Law of God brings success to our lives. Success in our job, success in our relationships, and success in our walk with Christ.
To be wise and prepared for our roles in the Kingdom of God, we must study God’s laws, and we should ask ourselves how we can live in them so we can show greater love to God and Man.
Some Christians have been biased against God’s Law, thinking that those who live by it somehow earn their salvation. That is far from the truth, and I like to explain it this way. We receive salvation by faith in Jesus through His extraordinary grace. Our response to that grace, that wonderful gift, is that we yield ourselves obedient to Him. We let Christ work in our lives as we receive even more grace as He transforms our character into the image of His character. And as we grow spiritually, we learn how to love even more.
So let’s be wise like the five wise virgins. Let’s be prepared.