Put Your Oxygen Mask on Before Helping Others

Those words sound so selfish....on the surface.  But have profound meaning and significance when you consider the long-term impact for your own self-care and the care of others

Many in the HELPING and MINISTRY profession need to heed the words, "put your mask on first." Implied in this statement is, "you can't help others until you help yourself." You will be unable to care for others unless you care for yourself.

Self-care requires you to care for your physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually self -"put on my mask first"-before I try to minister to the needs of those around me.  You will have to fight for this because by nature you will want to put the oxygen mask on others before you put your own mask on for the day, week, month and year.

I would offer the following encouragement:

1. Start with Sabbath - God has built into creation a natural rhythm for work and rest. Claim it. Enjoy it. Obey it.  It is a grace gift.

2.  Develop a plan to care for your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual self. Start simply.  Set simple achievable goals to help you in each of these areas.  Find a coach to help you if you are having trouble.

3.  Live an INTERESTING LIFE apart from your work, ministry, church, church plant, etc. This is SO IMPORTANT. This can protect you from many unethical situations.

Jesus gave us this simple relational command in the GOSPELS: Love God-with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength-AND love your neighbor as yourself.  You will only see the value of "putting your mask on first" when you see it as the most loving thing you can do to be a "good loving neighbor" and a whole, holy, healthy follower of Jesus.

Grace and Peace