Exodus 18:17-23Moses’ father-in-law said, “This is no way to go about it. You’ll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can’t do this alone.Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do.And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They’ll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They’ll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they’ll be the judges.They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you’ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also.”Moses’ father-in-law was a pretty good manager. He understood how to delegate and how to organize things. He could see that Moses was getting tired and he didn’t have time for all of the people. The people were starting to feel neglected.Lord, how am I not delegating? Help me to ask for help in the tasks that I do every day. Help me to understand how to organize my work and my responsibilities so that I do not burn out but things get done.Forgive me for not asking for help. I don’t even ask you for help. I just keep moving along trudging through the tasks hoping I will reach the end.Fill me with your strength and your courage so that I can do your will. But fill me with boldness and humility so that I can ask for help. Help me to know what I can delegate and help me to choose the right people.
