"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." — Luke 4:18-19
Those of you who fly frequently can probably recite this from memory: "If we should experience a sudden loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will appear … please secure your own mask before assisting any children who might be with you."
At our house we call this the "oxygen mask principle." You have to be able to breathe before you can help someone else breathe.
If we are going to bring Christ’s healing and freedom to our world, we must experience it ourselves. Christ must do a deeper work in us before we can bring a deeper message to our world. Or, as some put it: You must be before you can do.
This is a very different message than "try harder." Instead, this is the message that says we stop going into denial about our own woundedness, that we too have been damaged, that every layer of our soul needs a Savior. It is not just the part of us that sinned that needs Christ; it is also the part of us that was sinned against that needs Him.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.