More Wisdom from a Plane

I am writing this while getting ready to fly from Boston to Dublin, and we are watching the safety video.

One of the things that we are told during these safety videos is that if you are travelling with people who for whatever reason cannot our their oxygen masks on themselves you should make sure yours is firmly attached first.

Seeing the video reminded me that while ministering to someone this week, I gave them the same advice.  This person was going out to some wild places with her friends to try and win them to Christ, but ended up doing things that hurt her and that she was ashamed of.

She was trying to help other people make a connection to the life giving oxygen of knowing Christ and His redemptive life, but her mask wasn’t attached properly.

I see that a lot as a pastor: people trying, out of a deep love and compassion, to help others see Christ but they end up choking themselves.

Your primary goal as a Christian isn’t to attach everyone else’s mask – it’s to make sure yours is attached.  When you are attached to Jesus properly, with life flowing from your spirit, through your soul, into your life.  You are superior to your environment, not driven by it. 

You are immune to what is going on around you as you are firmly attached to a different source of life, joy and purity.

You are humble, so prayer is simple.  You are grounded in faith, so Word study is part of your life.  You are above offense and selfishness, so being part of a lively local church is easy for you.

When this attachment is secure, then you can go and help others, and help change the world. 

God wants you to help others get their masks on and attach to the source of life, but make sure your mask is firmly attached first.