Keep Your Oil!

I would like to share a lesson I learned from a practitioner from this church some time ago. She made a simple statement that she said I was to apply to my life at the time; and the statement was, “We are to give of our light, but never of our oil.”

It was explained that your light is your joy, gratitude, and seeing people rightly. It is just something that shines forth like the light. We thus give freely to everyone, everywhere. It creates a Christly atmosphere that heals and blesses all who feel it and are in contact with it.

Our oil is something different. Mrs. Eddy gives the definition of oil in Science and Health in the Glossary: “OIL. Consecration; charity; gentleness; prayer; heavenly inspiration.” Your oil is something that you work for and you receive. It is to be valued and treasured; it is yours and belongs to no one else.

In the story of the Ten Virgins, five were wise, and five were foolish. The five wise virgins kept their oil and knew the value of their oil. When the five foolish ones wanted to take the oil from them, they refused. They told them that they should go buy their own oil, that it was worth whatever price they had to pay. We had to pay our price, you have to pay yours. You have to work for it yourself.

This is a principle, and just plain common sense. In Mrs. Eddy’s beautiful article, “Fidelity” in Miscellaneous Writings she writes, “‘The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light;’ they watch the market, acquaint themselves with the etiquette of the exchange, and are ready for the next move. How much more should we be faithful over the few things of Spirit, that are able to make us wise unto salvation!”

So those who truly value God and what God gives must, too, keep their oil, keep the flames burning. We should keep our joy steadfastly, and no one should take it from us.

At that time in my life I didn’t realize this, and I was giving up my oil and it was depleting. The practitioner said to me that there is a line that no one crosses. You give of your light, but not of your oil. The oil you earned, that is yours. Everyone is free to earn theirs and keep theirs as well.

This was such a wonderful lesson. I have referred to it many times in my life. I am grateful to the practitioner and her wisdom. I am grateful for Mrs. Eddy and all her writings that she has given us.