Lamps, Oils and Midnight Panics: What we can learn from the Wise and Foolish Virgins

Last week, I shared on how to use the Power of Storytelling for our marketing efforts and to build community. Today, I am going to be sharing one of my all-time favorite stories that always gets me thinking, which is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Remember those bible study or CRS school days when we'd roll our eyes at yet another moral lesson? Well, it turns out, those lessons were gold—especially for navigating the modern workplace!

The story begins with ten virgins awaiting a wedding banquet. Five were wise, equipped with extra oil for their lamps; the other five were foolish, having brought none. As the bridegroom's arrival was delayed, they all fell asleep. At midnight, they were suddenly awakened by a shout: "The bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him!" While the wise virgins were prepared to meet the bridegroom, the foolish ones found their lamps empty and desperately sought oil from their companions. Unfortunately, there was not enough to share, and while the foolish virgins went to purchase more, the bridegroom arrived. The wise entered the celebration with him, and the door was shut behind them, leaving the foolish outside.

Pause and Reflect

If these characters as modern-day employees or entrepreneurs. How would they fare in today's competitive environment? Imagine this scenario in a modern corporate context: two teams are preparing for a crucial project presentation. One team has backups and rehearsed contingencies, while the other relies solely on the initial plan. Which team do you align with in your professional conduct?

What Can We Learn? Here are 5 lessons:

1. Complacency Can Be Costly: The foolish virgins were comfortable with the status quo, not planning ahead or preparing for unexpected situations. As professionals, we must think ahead and plan for future needs. Are you actively preparing for potential changes in your industry?

2. Resource Management Is Key: Their lack of foresight in managing their oil reveals a crucial lesson about resource management. Do you know how to allocate your resources effectively to avoid last-minute scrambles?

3. Opportunities Won't Wait: The assumption that opportunities will always be available can be detrimental. Have you passed up opportunities in the past because you assumed they would come around again?

4. Maximize Delays: The delay in the bridegroom's arrival was a missed opportunity for the foolish to prepare. How do you use unexpected delays to your advantage in your career?

5. Stay Alert: Are you tuned into the changes happening around you?

How can we apply this story to our lives as employees or business people?

Firstly, I’m sure you have lamps, which could represent your degrees or experiences. But do you have oil? In this context, oil could symbolize extra paid training, networking, certifications, and continuous learning. It’s commendable to have lamps, and your lamp might take you far, but you need oil to ascend beyond your average peers. The oil is what distinguishes you from the crowd.

Secondly, you might be waiting for significant opportunities or visibility, and they haven’t arrived yet. During this time, how are you utilizing this waiting period to build capacity for when the opportunity does arrive? One of my favorite pieces of advice is: “Use delay to prepare for what you want.” There is no delay or waiting time, only extra preparation time because the truth is, you can never be too prepared.

Thirdly, exercise discernment in managing your resources wisely. The reality is, we will never have enough, and you will never be given enough, even in your workplace. The strategy then is to manage the resources that you do have to produce results. So, when the ‘bridegroom’ arrives, you can ask for more.

Fourthly, learn to say NO. It requires discernment and wisdom to say no. It also demands a level of self-awareness and the ability to resist people-pleasing. It’s okay to safeguard your projections. The wise ones discerned that if they gave the foolish ones their oil, they wouldn’t have enough for both parties. They said, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and for you.’ Learn the art of saying no and discern the right time to say no too. Sometimes, saying yes all the time can harm both you and the person asking. Allocate your time and energy wisely. Be prudent with your oil.

Lastly, how are you staying alert in your industry or in your chosen career path?

So, I’ve kept it to 5 lessons and 5 action points, fittingly, as it is about 5 sets of people. Now, over to you. How have you preserved your ‘‘oil’’, and if you don’t have ‘‘oil’’ at the moment, What are your plans to purchasing your ‘‘oil’’?

Ufuoma Stella Oyovwikefe