Would God Choose Your Oil?

Interpreting dreams for 20 years, it seems I'm always dealing with symbols and their possible interpretations. This morning, I found myself reflecting on olive oil—the rich, pure kind often mentioned in Scripture as a symbol of  something precious and set apart. Authentic olive oil doesn’t come without a cost; it’s made through crushing, pressing, and careful extraction, bringing out the very essence of the olive. Only through that process does it become what it was meant to be.

 

But look around, and you’ll see shelves lined with other oils—canola, vegetable, soybean—all much cheaper, often marketed as “healthy” options. They may look similar, but they lack the depth, the richness, and the unique qualities that only true olive oil provides. And as we know, many of these oils aren’t truly healthy; they break down under heat, losing quality and even causing harm.

 

It made me think of our walk with God. Many are “called” to live with purpose, but few are “chosen”—willing to go through the refining, the transformation, and the costly surrender that make a life holy and set apart. True, pure oil can only come from a life that has been through the pressing. But many prefer a blend—a mix of worldliness and faith, easy to live with and far from the costly, pure life God calls us to.

 

If God were to choose your “oil” to work with, would He choose the cheap blend or the pure, enduring olive oil? Would He select the oil that can withstand the heat, maintain its integrity, and bring out the best in what it touches, or would He find something shallow and breakable, unable to endure the fire?

 

Think of David, Joseph, Paul—each went through seasons of pressing and refining. They didn’t become “blends” diluted by convenience or comfort; they endured the journey of transformation that made them pure, resilient, and filled with purpose. They became vessels God could truly work through.

 

So here’s the question for each of us:

Are we willing to pay the price for what is authentic? Are we willing to be refined, to give up what is easy, and to become the kind of “oil” that truly carries the Spirit of God even when it's uncomfortable? Or will we choose a blend, diluted by the world’s opinions, and fall short of what God intends? Are we prepared to surrender fully, allowing God to remove what doesn’t belong, and to be set apart as something holy and pure? Or will we settle for a life that’s “easy” but lacks true substance, diluted by the world’s influence?

 

Lord, help us to embrace the refining process. Teach us to choose what is pure and lasting. May we be the kind of “oil” that You can use—and choose, a life that is set apart and prepared to bring forth Your purpose.

 

And remember, friends—don’t be canola oil! Cheap blends break down under pressure. Let’s choose to be pure and enduring, vessels God can truly use.  And sharpen those around you who call themselves Christians. Friends don't let friends cook with Canola!

 

Many are called, few are chosen. Be chosen. Matthew 22:14.