Exodus 18:24- 26 …
24 So Moses listened to
his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men
out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of
hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 26 They judged the people
at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor
dispute they themselves would judge.…
Thanks to Moses's father-in-law, Jethro, the great leader
was able to confront a long-standing habit, which was wearing him down. Working
so hard that you never have a break will wear anyone down, as we saw
in a previous devotional. I commend Jethro for telling his son-in-law the
truth. He didn't stutter: "The thing that you are doing is not good"
(Exodus 18:17).
Before any need for change can be recognized, we have to
face the truth. Thankfully, Moses did just that. Rather than arguing, he
listened and did the right thing. He shared the burden of leadership. As you
read yesterday, he "chose able men . . . and made them heads over the
people" (18:25). The act of delegation works best when those who are given
a share of the load are qualified to handle those responsibilities. What a
relief that must have been to Moses! As a result, he finally took time to
relax.
I hope you didn't miss something very important that Jethro
said to Moses. He urged Moses to do this "so it will be easier for you . .
. then you will be able to endure" (18:22–23). Working smarter is the
ticket, not working harder. And the ultimate payoff: you'll "endure"!
I'm convinced that one of the reasons Moses remained so
productive and healthy right up to the very end of that last 40-year segment of
his life was that he learned the importance of delegating his heavy load of
responsibility. Doing that allowed him sufficient time for R & R—rest and
relaxation. We can all learn some vital lessons from ol' Moses.
By the way, he lived to be 120—healthy to the very end. His
epitaph?
Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he
died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. (Deuteronomy 34:7)
Thought for today:
Do I have a “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done” mentality?
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