#TipsTuesday – Thou Shall Not Burn Out

Reading through the story of the ten virgins in the Bible [found in Matthew 25], something caught my attention.

The wise virgins had their lamps full of oil at the time the bridegroom came in the dead of the night. The foolish ones had no oil left. I thought, how wicked of the wise virgins, could they not even have spared just a little oil for their friends?

“That’s not fair at all”, I thought. “We should be our brother’s keeper [oh well, sister in this instance]”.

I didn’t even have to dwell on it for too long before the author of the Bible gave me my answer.

“There won’t be enough for you and for us…” – Matthew 25: 9b

In our last #TipsTuesday Post, I wrote on making yourself priority.

Today’s Tip is:

Thou Shall Not Burn Out

Just in case the last post didn’t sink in well, even the Bible gives you permission to give yourself priority so you don’t burn out. You alone are responsible for the oil in your lamp. You cannot keep giving until your burn out. Anytime there’s a tussle between you and others, as it relates to guarding your oil, you win – you are priority. You can’t give what you do not have.

The Bible calls the other five virgins foolish – don’t be like them. Choose to be wise. Take time for yourself, keep your oil level at maximum always, take time to refill and replenish – make it a deliberate and planned thing. I’m sure by now, you must have realized that whatever does not get planned does not happen. The truth is that people around you won’t give you the chance, you need to take that for yourself. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate – just take regular time to refresh yourself.

You cannot give out of the reserve you have. You cannot afford to!

If you’ll like to take a look at our previous posts in this series, just check here.

Have a Lovely Tuesday.