Stay Ready

We don’t know when Jesus will return, but that doesn’t deny the certainty of it happening. To make the most of our lives, we must stay ready.

Jesus was a master storyteller. He knew how to craft a story that would make an impact that stuck for the long haul. This parable of the ten virgins shows the importance of readiness for Jesus’ return.

You might wonder why God wouldn’t tell us when Jesus will return if we are supposed to be ready. Maybe that’s the point. When I was a young boy, my mom would leave us to clean our rooms. She wanted it done by the time she returned but never told us when. Why? She attempted to make sure we did the first things first. If I knew her return would be delayed, I would delay taking care of what I needed to do.

It’s the same way with Jesus. He has not told us the exact day or time because He wants us to be ready now. We need to assume that this day is our last day.

Check out His powerful teaching in Matthew 25:1-13.

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them;⁴ but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. ⁵ When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’

⁷ “Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “The wise ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil, and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.¹¹ Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’

¹² “He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you!’

¹³ “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.

In Jesus’ parable, He described ten virgins. Five of them were ready for the wedding banquet; five of them were unprepared. The groom never said when he would come; he just told them to stay prepared. When the time came for the feast, the opportunity passed half of them by. They knew it was coming, but they lived as if they had all the time in the world. And when the time came, they had no more time to prepare.

Jesus was warning them, and He is warning us just the same. You may not know when He is coming, but you should not wonder if.

• If you knew Jesus would return before this day ends, what would you do?
• Would you share the gospel with that friend on your mind?
• Would you reach out to reconcile with that estranged family member?
• Would you finally stop that sinful habit plaguing you for years?

Whatever you would do if you knew today was the final day needs to be next on your to-do list.