The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. (Exodus 18:18)Like most good pastors, Moses doesn't realize it, but he's riding a runaway train toward burnout in his attempt to care for the people who followed him out of Egypt. They are depending on him; he knows it, and he's feeling the weight of that responsibility.
Thank God for his father-in-law Jethro, who can look at the situation objectively and give the younger man some good counsel. We all need a Jethro in our lives. From the very beginning, God never intended us to go it alone. The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him (Genesis 2:18)."
[Choosing capable people who can help you fulfill your mission] will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you . . . and [everyone] will go home satisfied (Exodus 18:22,23)."
We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:3,4)."
From Adam and Eve, to Moses and Jethro, to the Apostles and their newly appointed deacons, God has never intended us to shoulder the burden in solitary confinement. That's why he places us in a church family.
Are you taking on more that your share of the burden? Is your pastor? What are you going to do about it?
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