Many people yearn for progress, but few prepare for this life of progression. Thousands are waiting for opportunities, but only a few are ever ready to embrace these opportunities when they happen because they have prepared.
Many ladies yearn for marriage, but only a few have prepared to be married. The same goes for men. They wish to be somewhere in life, but they need more preparation.
Five were silly, and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. – Matthew 25:2-4 [MSG]
The above scripture sheds light on how we can prepare for progress and challenges.
One characteristic of a person who has prepared is the ability to know. What do you know as you are preparing?
What do you know about your LAMP; SKILLS, PROFESSION, VISION, CHURCH, CHILDREN, etc.? Your lamp talks about anything that causes you to shine in your world. So, this can be your wealth, family, business, spiritual life, marriage, etc.
Both sets of virgins had LAMPS. This means those who were fools were with a profession, vision, skills, and other important tools needed to boost their progress if it were today’s world. But they failed to know their LAMP. They failed to realise that the oil in their lamp could dry out and that there should be a need for backup.
This happens to us. We have professions, skills, and family, among others, but we still need to secure knowledge that will help these segments of ours to grow and be sustained. Additionally, we have the skills necessary to foster ministry in this Church, especially in the field of music, church branding, etc., but because of a failure to seek knowledge to improve our skills, we find it challenging to meet the demands of this contemporary society.
The important thing we need to know is that many have skills, professions, and other tools but need to gain knowledge. That’s the OIL. And this has caused them to be unwise in their generation.
Knowledge places a person in a position not to perish. Many people have paid a lot because of their ignorance because they have failed to understand their lamp in order to add appropriate knowledge to sustain its lifespan.
Life is for those who are smart, and they are those who have knowledge about the principles of this life and how it is governed.
As you have your LAMP, attach that with the appropriate oil. It is on you to search for that particular oil for your Lamp – the ultimate oil is the HOLY GHOST. So, fuel your life now for progress, and you will know how to overcome any challenge.
As you do that, you will be in a position to stand and make a maximum impact in your world. Because the more you know about a thing, the more easily you function in it.
Written by Elder Tonnie Baffoe (Ekroful District, Agona Swedru Area)