Trim Your Lamps

"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps." Matthew 25: 6 & 7.

This passage of the parable of the ten virgins was once a mystery to me until I heard one of my former pastors preach on it. He taught that it is about the End Times and we are to be like the wise virgins. The oil and lamps symbolize the Holy Spirit, and we are to store up the oil of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is often referred to as both oil and fire in the new and old Testaments. My current pastor was teaching from the same verses about a completely different topic when the phrase "trimmed their lamps" struck me. What exactly does it mean spiritually to "trim our lamps?" I meditated on it, and the Holy Spirit pored out His teachings. 

In the natural, wicks are what transports the oil for the flame to burn. Trimming the wick is cutting off the part that has already been burnt where oil will not flow. What the Holy Spirit revealed to me is that we are the wick and He is like both the fire and oil. When we are new in His giftings the flame often burns hot and bright. As humans often do, we grow comfortable in our knowledge and usage of the Gifts. The flame burns down and the wick is charred.

I do not wish to dispute the End Times or make this into an End Time article. It is my personal opinion that the hour grows late and like the fig tree knows the season (Matthew 24), it is nearly upon us. The bridegroom soon cometh and we must be wise and store up the oil of the Holy Spirit. However, we must also be wise and trim the wick of our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to do new things.

So how does one, "trim the wick of our heart?" When I was meditating on this, the Holy Spirit revealed two meanings. This could mean both a season of repentance, or simply putting aside what you know about the Holy Spirit and His giftings and allow Him to do brand new things. We are all on a journey with the Lord and may not be in the same place.

For me personally, I am in a season to put aside what I am used to, and ask the Holy Spirit to come in new ways. It's that simple, but in all matters of the Lord there is a certain amount of trust and faith involved. When the wick has been trimmed, the flame is going to burn hotter and brighter... revealing more truth and things that had been previously hidden in the darkness. I trust the Lord that it is going to be worth it. I want to be a bride without spot or wrinkle for when the Bridegroom comes.

So my dear friends, the midnight hour approaches, will you trim your wicks and prepare the way for the Bridegroom with me?