The Fresh Oil of Sustaining Grace

In an age when we are fighting to discern real news, eat real food and love our real life, we must keep it real online as well. One virtue that I deeply value is integrity. There is always a danger when an impression of our online selves is far from reality. It is deeply important that who you come to know on this screen is consistent with the person you would sit down with over coffee.

I can display corners of my home that are perfectly decorated and untouched. I can reveal my social calendar, a list of connections, or my daily commitments in an attempt to impress. I can share quotes and verses in my stories and never get to the heart of what is behind it all.

So, in an effort to keep things real with you, may I remind you that no one can do it all? In fact, as hard as I try to do it all myself, it is simply not sustainable. In time, we all know, something gives and all of those balls being thrown above, juggled in rotating order, eventually crash, leaving us to decide what is important and what is necessary.

This week we entered our fourth week of schooling from home. I led my fourth class of 8th graders. I sent out my monthly newsletter to loyal subscribers. I did laundry for six people, again. I transported kids to and from play dates, sport practices and doctor appointments. I grocery shopped, weed picked, and house cleaned. I read, I cried, I prayed.

I am sure your week has been similar in many ways.

Occasionally I receive the question, “How do you do it all?”

My honest answer is that I don’t. No one is Superwoman. However, while that is absolutely 100% true, the reality is that I still try to be and become exhausted in the process. So, the questions remain:

How can I find a sustainable rhythm in the midst of constant pressures to keep up, keep going, and keep sane?

How can I keep the light shining in the midst of the surrounding darkness of unknowns?

How can joy continue to permeate even my most challenging of days?

My answer: fill up with fresh oil every day.

Oil?

Yes. (And all of my “oily friends” said, “Amen!”)

In Exodus 24, we read about Moses, when he encountered the glory of God in an unprecedented, and dare I say frightening way on Mt. Sinai.

 “Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” Exodus 14:17-18 ESV

On that mountain, Moses learned to wait for, remain attentive to, and obey the very voice of God. In addition, God gave Moses explicit instructions in Exodus 25 of how to build the tabernacle, the place where God, himself, would dwell with his people. Notice what is included in verse 6. Listed among the expected inventory list for a new build, like wood and animal skins, we see ‘oil for lamps’.

Oil, in this context, was necessary for keeping the light going at all hours of the day, so that the priests could come and commune with God. It was not to be just any oil. It was to be the most pure oil, the best of the best.

As I sit nursing a headache, tired from the week already, I am mindful of what I am trusting in to get me through the week. My desire is to build a home and life that remains a light in the darkness, but it is helpful to ask:

What oil am I using for the lamp of my life and my family?

“Under the most happy circumstances you cannot give light for another hour unless fresh oil of grace is given to you.” - Charles Spurgeon

How do you keep your light burning?

This is where it helps me to think of good, better, and best.

good

SInce there are many good ways to fill back up, my list for this category is always the longest. I enjoy playing tennis weekly with a group of women. I enjoy reading a book that is all my own, not related to a school or church requirement. I enjoy a nice dinner out where I don’t have to cook and clean up afterwards. These are all areas that help keep my oil burning as I seek to love and serve my family week in and week out.

better

When I think of better ways I can care for myself and keep the oil filled to the top, I have learned that I need alone time. I love being with people and am an extrovert by nature, however, silence and alone time to think and process is a must for me. A nice long shower at the end of a day is another gift of grace, allowing me some quiet to wash the day off and prepare for the day ahead. It is beneficial for my marriage to prioritize time with my husband in the evening, more than a mere business meeting. Praying together has been vital in keeping us united before the following day’s demands press in completely. Equally, I never regret intentionally using at least twenty minutes to work out every day. All of these allow me to go a little further than I would have otherwise.

best

It has become clearer for me in recent years, that what is absolutely best, in light of the passage above, is the purest form of light-sustaining oil. This oil does not come from merely a fun day out, but in spending intentional time meditating, praying and reading the very Word of God. Oil, as seen in scripture, was specifically used for healing or an anointing of the Spirit. More importantly, it allowed for light to shine in the darkness and for intimate communion with God. Therefore, the highest quality oil we can use to refill our lamps and to enable our lights to shine brightly is daily, intentional time with Him. This oil is representative of the grace we receive in a relationship with Him, as well as the sustaining grace needed to continue the journey.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” - Matthew 5:14

We are all called to be light-bearers. When darkness looms, we feel the pull and desire to shine all the brighter. We want to bring light to our communities and our schools. If you are a parent, we desire for our children to be light-givers and light-seekers, able to discerni light from dark in an unpredictable world.

There are many things that promise you the same results, but if you and I want to run the race well, sustaining the pace required of us, we must intentionally choose the best and most pure form of oil.

Your lamp will not last with anything less than the pure love and sustaining grace that is a gift of God.

This grace is found in time with Him, seeking His face above all else, and trusting in Him alone.

It’s free. It’s available. It’s lasting.

What oil are you using today?

Is there something good that needs to be exchanged, so that you can fill up with the best?

Try it and see how your light shines.