Foolish

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps."  Matthew 25:1-4

Most of us would rather not be called foolish. Most likely, most of us consider ourselves pretty wise. Jesus told stories about how to spot the wise and unwise, presumably, so the unwise might change their minds. Preparation was the demarcation line between the wise and unwise.

Wisdom embraces seeing the bigger picture. Children have parents and rules because they often fail to look too far down the road and consider how to be prepared for what is next. Our current financial woes in this country point out that all too many adults and their institutions refused to see the big picture and plan for "down the road." They gorged themselves on the "present," in much the same way an unmonitored child with Halloween candy would do.

Jesus' message was simple. There is something big going on. God is doing it. It is not apparent yet. Some days you might get a glimpse of it. But don't be fooled. It is coming and it is good. Your choice: will you be foolish and miss or wise and be ready to be caught up by it?

Are you spending enough time with God each day to avoid being really foolish?