Thoughts on OIL

The story in Matthew about the 10 virgins is challenging. They were all waiting for the wedding party and in the end only 5 were allowed to enter the party and 5 were not permited to enter because of not being present when the groom passed by. They had to go and buy oil for their lamps. Why couldn't the other 5 give them oil? I don't know. Here are some thoughts that I've had about the subject, although in some ways they contradict thoughts in the story.

• Our oil can be given to others, but we cannot constantly maintain somebody else's bottle full. One must maintain himself but we shouldn't create a deopendency or a false "priestly" system of leaders to be the connection for others to God.
• We can share unlimited quanities of "oil" as long as we stay filled through being connected with the Holy Spirit.

The lady with the bottle of oil never ran out... until all the containers she had gotten together were full.

The widow and her son always had enough oil and flour to make one more cake, as long as they made a cake for the prophet first.

Ephesians 5 tells us to be being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts says wait until you've been filled with power-from-on-high.

Psalm 133 tells us that unity and harmony produce abundance of oil. So much that it runs down from the head to the feet, now that's lots of oil.

Now, not all of these mentions of oil are directly regarding the Holy Spirit, but they sure can challenge us about generosity, unity, waiting for God, etc. What do I say? I want more of Him and less of me.