Secure Your Own Oxygen Mask First

Life is a journey. For a leader, it is a double journey as we travel with others. For leaders of leaders, frequent flier miles can quickly add up. For those leaders who are “worried and troubled about many things,” frequent flier miles may never be cashed in. A regular pre-flight announcement states, “If oxygen masks are necessary, they will drop from a compartment above. If you are traveling with a child or someone needing assistance, put your mask on first.” Why? Because you can’t help someone when you are struggling yourself. Right? Not so fast; we Christian leaders do it all the time.

As leaders, we often forget to grab some oxygen first before we take care of our charges. Someone is always in need, and good leaders always care. The better a leader you are, the more people will seek you out. You didn’t become a good leader by only looking out for yourself. Being a leader is a call, and it is confirmed by people looking for you. Compass needs leaders who go beyond a title or seeking recognition. And Compass is committed to making sure our leaders continue to look more and more like Jesus.

Once, when Jesus was leading a life group in Martha and Mary’s house, the principle of “put your oxygen on first” was on full display. Martha wanted Mary to get up and help her take care of the people hearing Jesus. Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

To care for others is our call, but that must be balanced with an insatiable thirst for being with Jesus. We can’t give what we don’t have. I’m not saying ignore people; I’m saying make sure you are serving others out of a deep breath of the Spirit of Jesus. It makes shepherding an adventure and keeps the burn-out far away. Think adventure!

I’m not big on guilt as a motivation, so don’t take this as an admonition to get your priorities right. What I am saying is that the journey you invite your disciples on will be more life-giving when we maintain our spiritual discipline of personal devotional time. It is the kind of journey that will keep us from burning out.

Tools for enhancing our devotional time:

 Refresh and Recalibrate: https://bit.ly/4cP7WNc

 The Spiritual Disciple of Resetting: https://spirituallyhungry.com/the-spiritual-discipline-of-resetting/

For you leaders, it is a reminder, not an invitation. “Continue to choose the good part.”

Dr. Alex Mandes