Do You Have Enough?

““Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 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.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:1–13, ESV) 

The story Jesus tells about the ten virgins is one of those parables that can slip past you if you’re not paying attention. At first glance, it’s just a wedding scene, some young women waiting for the bridegroom to arrive so they can join the procession. They all have lamps, but only half of them bring extra oil. The other half assume they’ll be fine with what they’ve got. And for a while, they are. They all wait. They all fall asleep. But when the moment finally comes, when the shout goes out that the bridegroom is here, five realize they don’t have enough. Their lamps are flickering and fading, and there’s no time left to fix them.

They scramble, beg for oil, and rush off to buy more, but by the time they get back, the door is shut. It’s not cracked open. Not left slightly ajar for the latecomers. Shut. And when they knock, when they plead, when they say, “Lord, Lord, open to us,” they hear something that should stop any of us in our tracks. “I don’t know you.”

It’s the kind of story that makes you uncomfortable if you sit with it long enough. Jesus isn’t talking about people who had no idea a wedding was happening. They were invited. They showed up. They had lamps. But they weren’t ready. They assumed they had time. They assumed what they had was enough. And they were wrong.

There’s a reason Jesus tells this right after warning His disciples that no one knows the day or the hour of His return. It’s a wake-up call, not just for them but for anyone who assumes they’ll deal with their faith later. And that’s easy to do. Life is packed full of things that seem more urgent. Work. Family. Plans. Responsibilities. And faith? It’s easy to treat it like something that will always be there, waiting when we have time to give it more attention.

But Jesus is saying that’s not how this works. There are things in life that can be borrowed. Money. Advice. Even time, in some ways. But faith? Obedience? A life shaped by walking with God? That’s personal. No one else can give it to you. And when the moment comes, when the door closes, there’s no running back to try again.

It’s not about fear. It’s about reality. There’s a difference between having a lamp and having what it takes to keep it burning. Between showing up and actually being prepared. Between thinking you’re ready and actually being ready.

So the question is, do you have enough? 

• Enough faith to keep trusting God when your prayers aren’t answered yet?
• Enough patience to stay faithful when life gets complicated or painful?
• Enough love to forgive even when it feels unfair?
• Enough humility to admit when you’re wrong or need help?
• Enough commitment to choose Jesus, not just when it’s convenient, but when it costs something?

The foolish virgins weren’t bad people. They weren’t rebels. They were just unprepared. And when the time came, their moment was gone.

The door was shut.

It doesn’t have to be.

~PW 🌮🛶