Be Dressed — Ready For Service

Sunday’s Gospel reading of the Bridesmaids tells us we must be ready.

You must be spiritually ready. If there is one thing that Jesus continually preached it was that we need to be ready. Over and over again we hear Him say, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

The whole message of Jesus’ warnings to be ready has to do with doing the right things. Being ready means, actively living in faithfulness with our Lord.

The important point is that we not get caught up in the daily routine of the world and forget that things are not always going to continue as they are.

Be ready! No one can do it for you. No one can wear a parachute in your place, and no one can loan you theirs. It doesn’t work that way. You need your own. Your faith must be your own.

In the Gospel you will see, don’t try to borrow someone else’s oil, be sure to have your own. William Barclay says, “We cannot always be living on the spiritual capital which others have amassed. There are certain things we must acquire for ourselves.” The foolish bridesmaids did not realize their need of oil until the bridegroom appeared. They were told to go out and buy oil, but they found that impossible. This means that a relationship with God cannot be bought at the last minute at any price.

Jesus said, “Be dressed, ready for service and keep your lamps burning.”