Do we depend on God for the major issues in our lives? Taking into account the large number of people in the nation of Israel, Moses finds himself with a near impossible task. To simplify, he must solve every minor and major situation that arose. In other words, Moses was close to burning himself out. Then, Jethro visits Moses and teaches him about delegation.
Have you ever been there? Me too! We sometimes need to delegate too!
Jethro Visits Moses & Teaches Delegation in Exodus 18
“Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.” – Exodus 18:17-18 NASB
Jethro Counsels Moses
Previously, God sent manna and quail to feed the people. Now, He sends Jethro to visit Moses to help him not to “burn out.” These verses from Exodus teach several lessons we can learn as Christians. The first has to do with witness. It involves sharing with other people who may not know Christ, or what God has done for us.
We could focus just on this point and be done. And yes, it is important for us to tell our story. But, take note of a “secret” message here. This message came to mind as I was reading the last parts of the passage.
Delegation for Moses – And for Us
If we put this Bible story in the context of the workplace, the church, the government of countries, etc. we can learn the importance of delegation.
Moses found himself overwhelmed with trying to take care of every little spat the Israelites had with each other. Also the Bible states that he sat there “from the morning till the evening ..” in verse 13.
Jethro Visits Moses and Comes to the Rescue
Jethro saw what was happening. He knew Moses would suffer from burnout if he didn’t delegate some of that responsibility.
He counseled Moses and suggested that the duties be broken down into manageable numbers. This method is used in a workplace where you have a supervisor, a plant manager, board members and a CEO. Each person or group under the CEO has duties on a smaller scale and more work gets done because of it.
After Jethro’s Visit – Moses Delegates
Moses took Jethro’s advice and delegated the work to “able men” who could take on these lessor tasks. All the while, he remained in charge of the major issues as they arose. In other words, Moses finally admitted that he could not do it all himself.
What about Us? Do We Need a Visit from Jethro?
[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”65″ identifier=”1581351585″ locale=”US” src=”https://makingchristknown.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/31mAmCp5STL.SL160.jpg” tag=”bobpardphot-20″ width=”160″]What did we learn here? We need to realize that we cannot do it all by ourselves. Not only do we need the help of God and other people in the tasks at hand but, just as Moses handled the major situations for the people we need to hand those over to God too. Only He can give direction and guide us through the times over which we have no control.
Love in Christ
– Bob
Learn more about the love and life-changing experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to read John 3:16 for more information.