Airplane Oxygen Masks 1/1/2012

I Corinthians 2 & 3
Luke 10

When I was a young boy I remember my first plane ride.  My dad and I flew from Minneapolis to Phoenix.  It was scary enough to be on something so large that defied logic in regards to flight, but something else scared me too.  The flight attendants began their preflight safety demonstrations and described how the emergency oxygen masks worked.  Gee, you mean something could actually go wrong that would require these?  The attendants then told us that passengers should care for themselves before helping others, especially children.  That meant if something scary happened and we couldn't breathe, my dad got to get oxygen before me!  I was upset and angry by this.   Didn't I deserve to breathe too?  Of course I did, but in reality it makes sense for adults to get the oxygen first because if they didn't the children might screw it up and then we'd all be in trouble.  I wonder if they knew this was a Scriptural principle?

Today our pastor taught from Luke chapter 10.  In this text, Jesus sent out seventy people in twos to prepare the way for Him and His message.  In order for Jesus's ministry to be as effective as possible, He wanted others to go out and begin preparing the hearts of those He would eventually minister to himself; to make sure they were ready to accept Him.  In 1 Corinthians, Paul says in chapter 2:14, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."  Can people receive Christ if they are not first prepared and taught about Him?

If we are going to be effective in doing what the seventy did in Luke 10, or what Paul did in 1 Corinthians 2, don't we first need to be ready ourselves?  Can we be effective in what God has called us to do if we're not ready - if we don't first take care of ourselves?

So just like is true with the flight attendant's advice for adults to take care of themselves before helping the children, we also need to make sure we are taking care of ourselves before we can help others.  We need to make sure we are spiritually mature enough to care for and train those that are not as mature.  We also need to remember that our bodies are God's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16) and in order to make sure the Holy Spirit is in us and guiding us, we need to take care of ourselves and keep that temple clean, healthy, and strong.

We can all make a difference and have influence in bringing others to Christ, but if we want to be as effective as possible and be "the adult on the airplane" or be like the seventy or like Paul, we each need to continue growing spiritually and physically.

As we start 2012, I'm reminded that time never stops or slows down and with each passing day, or year, we find ourselves closer to the day Christ returns for His people.  Don't waste any time being a "child."

I pray tonight that we each find a renewed sense of purpose, that we stay focused on the Lord, and continue to mature to the point that our Father can use us to effectively change this world.