Put Your Own Mask on First

You know when you get on a plane and the flight attendant begins giving instructions in the event of a crash? What do they say to parents of young children? That’s right. “If there is a change in cabin pressure and the oxygen mask falls, put your own mask on first.” As selfish as it sounds, it has to be done in that order. Lives may depend upon it.

Or picture this: You see a burning building surrounded by firefighters who are unrolling hoses and positioning ladders. Suddenly, you see one of them climb a ladder toward the blazing upper floor, but he has no gear on, no boots, no mask, no coat. His colleagues on the ground are frantically calling to him to come back down and suit up before going in.

What firefighter would do this? None that I know of. Without his gear, a firefighter and the desperate people in the burning building are both doomed.

Believe it or not, we often fall into this dangerous behavior, just in a different way. We attempt to take care of people when we are poorly equipped to do so. I’ve done it myself, with predictable results. Why do we live as if becoming a parent, church leader or caregiver automatically comes with superpowers?

I spoke recently with the directors of a ministry called Father’s Love. They work with at-risk kids from difficult circumstances whose spiritual and emotional oxygen levels are perilously low. The long road to a healthy adulthood stretches ahead, and it is up to their caregivers to ensure they are well nourished. In order to achieve that, they say, the caregivers themselves must be in good shape.

This can’t be emphasized enough, especially to those who are responsible for the well-being of a young person. An overworked, stressed-out parent must stop and take time, even if it is in small increments, for their own care. You can’t take the child in your care any further than you are.

Are you feeling sluggish in mind, body and spirit? “Come to me,” says the Lord. Make it your number one priority today to spend time alone with him. Ask him to show you the way back to strength and restoration. Read Psalm 23 out loud. “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:2-3, ESV). Then read it to your children.