Roots

Have you ever found yourself waking up in the early hours in the morning? I find it one of the most peaceful times when it is quiet, everything is still and calm, the next thing you know you drift off to sleep. One morning, I woke up at 3am, which happens occasionally, but this time, I had a hard time falling back to sleep. Out of habit, (one that I am in the process of breaking) I began to scroll on my phone and came across some silly reels. As much as I tried to conceal my snickers, I started to disturb my husband's rest, so I put my phone away. Sitting quietly, a few random people began to come to my mind and I began to pray for them then I opened my Bible App, and began to read Matthew 25.

Matthew 25 Jesus taught of two  parables of the virgins who set out to meet the Bridegroom. My definition of a parable is a way of  teaching a lesson or principle through a story in a way others can relate with the intention to awaken, shedding light in dark areas which leads to a deeper understanding and significance in everyday things.  

What I Learned from the Parable of Virgins

Matthew 25 “ The Kingdom of Heaven shall be linked to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom….Matthew 25:1  KJV” In this parable the 10 virgins set out to meet the Bridegroom, in the end 5 were prepared (wise) and 5 were unprepared (foolish). The wise virgins had enough oil. The unwise were unprepared and had no oil when it was time to meet the Bridegroom and scrambled at the last minute and as a result were shut out.  According to Vine’s Concise Dictionary of the Bible, 1. A lamp is described to need frequent refilling, refueling as they hold little oil. 2. Oil, in the New Testament, is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.” 

My question is if the virgins knew the Bridegroom was coming, what on earth were they doing earlier that day? Why weren't they prepared and why did they chill and fall asleep and scramble at the last minute looking for oil? Did they lose track of time, got distracted, did they not believe he was coming? There is always a root cause for a behavior.  The story is so unfortunate because they lost access to the Bridegroom, once the door shut it was shut! This parable is so relatable and I have had times where I was unprepared and shut out. I am sure I am not the only one, as I speak from my own life experience, shared stories and observations. Below I will share my perspective on why the 5 virgins did not have oil for their lamps and were unprepared as it relates to women in society today.

• Unprocessed Trauma/ Causing Distraction

• Identity In Christ

• Conforming to the culture 

• Pressure of society 

• Unbelief

• Priorities

• Lack of Community

There is Always a Root

Almost everyone on this earth has experienced challenges in life and unfortunately some of these challenges may take place in early childhood. Despite the length of time an event has occurred, even our earliest experiences  create “roots” on how we navigate through life. 

One area is how we think. Our thought process is how we make our decisions, what we focus on and what we believe, developing morals, values and setting standards for how we want to live. However, we all have roots as our foundation set by those before us passed down through generations, some strong roots that form strong foundations and some that need to be unrooted. These roots that need to be uprooted may have shown up in your life as early childhood trauma and can cause years of distractions, misconceptions and behaviors that are maladaptive. However, through Jesus there is clarity, healing and restoration of time and most importantly our purpose.

Society, Culture, Conformity, Identity

There is so much  In today’s society, especially social media, if you are not securely rooted in your identity, your filling, fuel and drive can become driven by what the “world/society standards where the pressure is heavy.  While it is perfectly fine to learn, admire, glean from the positive attributes of others, it is so important to know who you are, love who you are and seek God so that you can know what you were created for and what He wants you to do with your life.

If your fuel comes from validation of man, you encounter the dangerous life of people pleasing, being controlled, losing your true self, self-esteem struggles, wavering confidence and painting a facade of happiness. When we are fueled by emotions and  the lust of the eyes, we tend to  rush and do things, even good things at the wrong time because we are impatient and seek happiness. When we rush, we are not fully present, we get caught up in the moment not paying attention, overlook details and forget important things.  Unfortunately, we develop aversions to the things that are good for us and we put our energy in people and things that take us outside the will of God. The most important thing is that even though we may get off track, God will never leave us or forsake us, He is the way, the truth and light! Womanhood is not only determined by age, growing into a woman requires thinking, self-reflection and making healthy decisions, and of course if you desire to be a woman in Christ, knowing God is the first step. each day God graces us to get daily practice by fueling . 

I am staying Fueled?

• Have I identified my roots? (what helps me and what hinders me)

• Who am I?

• What am I prioritizing in my life?

• How am I refueling myself daily?

• Am I full of the Holy Spirit?