Attend to your own oxygen 1st

I often contemplate how I spend my thoughts and time. Today my first note was to study scripture, my second to pray, and my third to read scripture. Then, of course, as is the way of the enemy [via sin's snare], I thought, "I am missing my opportunity; I am self-absorbed and self-seeking." As I pondered these personal chastising statements, I realized that those thoughts are not taught by Jesus at all. He stated in Matthew 22:37&38 that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind... then in verse 39 we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Loving the Lord starts exclusively by knowing Him, and knowing Him by reading-praying-studying His Word. 

My thoughts of 'missing my opportunity' are a distraction drawing me away from knowing God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. After I know God I can serve Him by loving others as I love myself. When my first reaction is to jump in to help, I may be jumping over God's plan and into my own agenda. 

I guess the closest modern day analogy is what the flight attendants teach about putting on your own oxygen mask FIRST then you will be able to assist the person next to you. We cannot help others if we ourselves are incapacitated. 

[possibly a topic for an additional post, but while I am here; I question whether the enemy, satan or his minions, is/are truly able to plant doubt-firing thoughts, or if by the fact that we are humans with a sinful human nature until we die, we just have the propensity for evil thoughts based on this nature. Just a thought.]