Years ago, I was always a bit fearful when our young family flew on a trip. I was uneasy every time the flight attendant reminded us that in the event of a loss in cabin pressure, we were to put oxygen masks on ourselves first and then on children and those who needed assistance. On the surface, it seemed like “good” parents would selflessly put the mask on the child first, before taking care of their own needs. But no, a parent who has passed out from oxygen deprivation cannot help a child. Then what happens if the child takes off the mask to check on the “sleeping” parent? Both parent and child would be lost.

In the same way, we must take care of our own hearts and minds before we can take care of someone else. Our tendency might be to focus our attention on protecting our loved ones from spiritual attack, but if we do not take care of ourselves first, we are of little use to our families. Yes, we must resist the devil. But we must also draw near to God, submitting ourselves to His authority. We must cleanse our hearts of unrighteousness and unconfessed sin. Daily, we should be tapping into the spiritual air that God is waiting to breathe into us, by spending time with Him in prayer and Scripture reading, and allowing Him to fill us with His Spirit. Once we have our Source connected, we can help others connect as well.