S)"18 You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone."
Exodus 18:18 (NASB)
O) Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, gives him some wise counsel with a warning and there are a few things to take away from this. First, take counsel from people! Jethro is also respectful of Moses' position and service to God, and in the following verses he backs it up with qualifiers like, "if God so commands," which is good, because all counsel we receive should still be held up to what the Bible says, and we should consider it prayerfully. Second, this advise is still sound for every person who ministers in any capacity. We can't do it all alone, we need to have help of some kind. The more people to whom you are ministering, the more help you will need. Delegating cannot be under-valued. It's hard to find good help, but it should still be sought. Third, and this is a very telling realization - Moses was a very humble man, the most humble on earth. He already needed help. He openly says so, when he tells God he cannot speak to Pharaoh alone, and quite literally in the physical sense, just in Exodus 17, when he needs Aaron and Hur to hold up his arms in worship while Joshua is fighing Amalek. In all his humility, and his experience in needing help, he still misses that he needs help in this way as well.
A) I don't know why Moses wasn't asking for help, but I know why I sometimes don't... I make an effort to proactively humble myself, but sometimes I miss areas where I need to be humble. Asking for help is one of them. It's not from an area of arrogance, where I think I can still do it despite obvious failings. It's more like a fear, that if I admit I can't do it the task will be taken from me completely. I need to realize two things. First, I need to be humble enough to remember that it's not about me. If God takes a task from me, then it must be in the best interest of the people involved. God is good, and what He does is good. If it hurts my pride, then maybe that's the whole point, right...? Second, I must remember and believe that if a responsibility or task or job is taken from me, even if that part of the circumstance is not according to God's direct will, that He still works all circumstances for my good, according to Romans 8:28.
P) Father, let me humble myself before You and give up whatever control I think I have. Continue to strip away any arrogance in me, but also any fear that is driven by insecurity and, ultimately, by pride. Holy Spirit, continue to reveal to me, areas where I am prideful without realizing it. Help me to trust and believe that Your will is good; help me especially when it's not what I want. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment