Today, another message from Lauren:
I was doing my best to work my way through the Bible a couple of years ago, when I stumbled upon a story that I had never heard before. I think a lot of times we reserve the Old Testament for children and the New Testament for adults, so that adults end up remembering the exciting stories without the meat. But that’s an issue for another day ...
Anyway, I read the story our handy-dandy Bibles have labeled “Jethro’s Advice,” and wondered why I’d never paid attention to or heard it before. It is set when Moses has left Egypt with the Israelites, and they have to make it in the desert. Jethro, Moses father-in-law, decides to come visit for a while, as any good father-in-law would do, in order to check up on his son-in-law. The story continues:
Exodus 18
The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?" Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God." Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases before God; teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do. You should also look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Let them sit as judges for the people at all times; let them bring every important case to you, but decide every minor case themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their home in peace."
So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any minor case they decided themselves. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went off to his own country.
When I read this for the first time, I had to reread it. My next reaction was to think, “Why didn’t anyone ever tell me this!” How many of you feel like Moses? Overwhelmed, tired, over-worked, tired, stressed, tired … did I mention tired? How many times do we leaders expect to do it all ourselves? “What you are doing is not good,” Jethro tells us. “You will surely wear yourself out,” you and everyone around you. So it’s not just about US; when we push ourselves too hard for too long, we affect those around us; we are giving them the short stick instead of being the providers, nurturers, protectors, leaders, examples that God has called us to be. “The task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.” That truth is hard enough to admit on its own; but who is going to help you? Aren’t you the one in charge? Aren’t you the one with the responsibility to do these important things? YES. But that doesn’t mean that God expected you, Joe Schmo, to do it all by yourself. WE ARE A COMMUNITY. If God has taught us anything, it is to rely on each other in order to accomplish his plans. Listen to Jethro: “Teach them the statues and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do.” In other words, teach those you are responsible for to be responsible.
But he doesn’t stop there, because people (children particularly) still need leadership and guidance; he tells us to “look for the able among you.” Who are the able? Well, it depends on which task is at hand. Andrew, my amazing husband, has among all his wonderful talents, the ability to cook and do the laundry. Maybe when I am overwhelmed with work or homework or “x,” I can ask Andrew to make dinner and take care of the laundry, because he is more than capable of handling that task, and vice versa (though my family would argue that maybe its better if Andrew took care of these things regularly ). Maybe the house needs to be cleaned a little (or, as is usually the case, a lot); maybe it’s worth it to hire someone this one time to take care of it so that we can focus on the more important things at hand.
Basically, don’t look at your responsibilities as the big picture and think, “I have to do this because no one else can do it.” Break it down into the little pieces and find ways of sharing the responsibility with those around you: with your family, your community. Because it is in “bearing each other’s burdens” that we truly do become a community, a family. Don’t think of it as letting go of responsibility, but of sharing that responsibility with others; you won’t be hogging all of the glory for yourself, but sharing your problems and successes with those you love and who love you.
I think it’s also important to notice that Moses didn’t shirk his responsibility. Though he felt underprepared for what God had called him to do, he did it (or at least was going to go down trying). I think the other end of the spectrum from unwillingness to share our responsibility, to delegate, is to not accept responsibility at all … but that is another can of worms for another day …
Blessings,
Lauren Allison Barker
