Jethro asked Moses, “Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself…” Has anyone said that to you in the past? Have you asked this of yourself recently? Today we live in a society of busyness so I have asked this of others and of myself again and again.
We have to remind ourselves often that we cannot do everything. God has given us each a special gift and a special calling that should be at the top of the list. With Him as our top priority, what He has purposed us for should be of utmost importance. But we have this desire to do everything. We want to have our hands in everything. The problem is that if our hands are in everything, they are too weak to hold onto what must have our attention. We cannot be really good in one area if we are spread out thin.
Jethro noticed that Moses was going to burn out himself and the people who looked to him for leadership and direction. He spoke to Moses about the need to let go of some of the responsibilities he held tightly and allow others to take some control. It is called delegation and we all need to live with this in our lives. In its simplest form, it can create a less chaotic household. It can be constructive in the workplace, with church volunteers and staff, and with any situation where there are many tasks to be accomplished and a group of people with willing hands. You can’t do it all by yourself. Delegate.
“The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, ‘What’s going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?'”
– Exodus 18:13-14 [MSG]
Tania Gutekunst 