I had just finished the book summary, The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. Right away I could see the application of this book. Not for me, I saw that my son-in-law was working long hours and here in this book were principles for the entrepreneur that could help him rise up new employees that he needed to keep him and the company founder doing what they do best, the tech troubleshooting. They built their business on this skill. But the other aspect of the business that could be outsourced to others were now taking up the majority of their time.
I get it that Jethro was looking to help his son-in-law from working long hours. It was not that the work was not important or needed to be cut back, but if too much depends on one key individual that is not going to be sustainable. In leadership others need to be raised up to share the load. Because of Exodus chapter 18 we call this the Jethro principle.
Jethro was concerned about his son-in-law working unending long hours. It would not only be affecting Moses but it would have impacted his daughter Zipporah and their family. Jethro was the priest of Midian. Moses the leader of the Israelites.
Jethro gave Moses such helpful advice that not only did Moses apply this and was helped by it, he wrote it in Scripture. He must have been aware that this was a leadership principle that would help spiritual leaders in every generation that follows him. There would come different circumstances but timeless principles.
It is the principle of shared ministry, delegation of authority and proper organization. A spiritual leader needs zeal, drive and a commitment to hard work. But this is not the only thing a leader needs. Without some good organizational structure all this hard work could lead to stress and burn out. Jethro could see that all the pressure and leadership responsibilities was about to break Moses. He needed to help him.
We find that Moses wife Zipporah and the kids went with Moses to Egypt (Exodus 4:24-26). But Moses sent his wife and kids back to Jethro. Now in this setting Moses is reunited with Jethro and his wife and kids. Moses wife Zipporah along with their children Gershom and Elieazer (Exodus 18:2-4) had stayed in the wilderness with Jethro while Moses had gone to Egypt. Now Moses and the Israelites are out of Egypt and in the wilderness. Now Jethro, Zipporah and the two children have re-joined Moses.
They are reunited and Jethro heard of all the Miraculous things God had done through his son-in-law, the staff to a snake, the river Nile turning to blood, the plague of frogs, flies, gnats, livestock, boils, locusts, darkness, death, the Passover sparing the Israelites, the parting of the Red sea, the mana, the qual, bitter water to sweet, water from a rock and more. Moses told his father-in-law all this (Exodus 18:8).
Jethro praised the Lord for all the great work of miracles (Exodus 18:10). There was great rejoicing, worship and a thanksgiving meal. The next day Jethro noticed something he had missed in all the excitement of reuniting. That is Moses was working himself to death. He worked from morning to evening.
Moses was working all day and the people were just sitting around. Jethro noticed this and brought it up to Moses. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. (Exodus 18:18).
Jethro explains to Moses that he needs to delegate these responsibilities.
Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” (Exodus 18:19-23)
You can imagine the stress of Moses. There are over one million people, and he is the only one deciding the disputes with all these grumbling people.
So many good leaders with a strong work ethic are doing what Moses did. They think they are doing the right thing working insane overtime hours to get everything done. They are shouldering all the pressure themselves. They are not doing anyone any favors by this.
They are working in fatigue with emotional stress. Because of this they aren’t doing their best work. The stress is eating away at them physically, emotionally and spiritually. There are going to be negative consequences. Jethro was right to understand this and give council to Moses.
We could say it this way, work smarter, not harder. It is no good to defeat the Amalekites in battle and them die of exhaustion. This is a common trap that spiritual leaders work and serve others and do not tell anyone of how weary they are and how the stress has taken its toll until they resign.
The leader who is emotionally drained and physically exhausted loses perspective. The little things become giant, and their prayer life withers away. Robert Murry M’Cheyne pastored a church of a thousand members at age 23 and he died at age 29. Before he died, he said, “God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride. Alas I have killed the horse and cannot deliver the message.”
Moses received Jethro’s idea. Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. (Exodus 18:24)
It took more than wise council from Jethro. Moses had to receive it and implement it. Moses listened. That is a rare quality among overworked stressed-out people. Usually when their work hours drop they feel guilty. There is so much to do. Normally these overworked leaders stay up later and work longer. They accomplish less with working longer hours until they finally snap.
Moses could have resented the advice his father-in-law gave him. Some leaders would have resented the advice. It attacks their pride to be told they should consider doing things differently. Moses was humble enough, open enough to receive the good advice.
It is not easy to accept advice from his father- in-law, but thankfully Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). It could be a matter of pride for spiritual leaders who are not the humblest on the face of the earth to receive advise from others close to them.
Another reason that Moses could have rejected the advice from Jethro is that it is hard to apply this advice. Moses is going to have to trust others with responsibilities and that the big challenge for committed leaders, to delegate responsibility.
Moses could have thought to himself, I work from sunup to sundown, when do I have time to train up leaders to do this work? Taking the time to train others is worth it. Once new leaders are trained they share in the responsibility.
At first they will not do as good of work as the primary leader. It will take an investment of time to get them started. But it is worth it.
It is through sharing responsibilities that a leader avoids burnout. But there is something more important than avoiding burnout. There is raising up new leaders. This is the primary objective of a spiritual leader is to raise up new leaders.
Teach them his decrees and instructions and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. (Exodus 18:20) Teaching new leaders and trusting them takes initial investment of time. It pays tremendous dividends.
Paul said in Ephesians 4:12 the role of the spiritual leader is to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Paul applied this with his disciple Timothy.
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:2)
Jesus invested in the twelve disciples. It did not always look like good use of time. But it was the major investment of his three years on earth. They carried on the work after he departed.
Moses must have known in his heart that this advise was God’s way. It is similar to Acts 6, when that apostle enlisted Deacons to share the workload. All believers are meant to participate in the great commission. It is a body of Christ, and everyone has a part to play.
The people are a kingdom of priests. You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:6). The New Testament doctrine of the Priesthood of the believers is built on this passage that comes right after the Jethro Principle.
The Jethro principle is applied. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves. (Exodus 18:25-26)
The idea that came from Jethro is received by Moses and put into action.
select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. (Exodus 18:21
Here are the Exodus 18:21 qualifications of the leaders:
• Able
• They fear God
• Trustworthy
• Honest with integrity.
These are character issues that determine the leaders. This shared ministry not only relieves Moses from crash and burn overworked lifestyle, but it ignites others who can share in the leadership. Those who were sharing the leadership with Moses have an ownership in the community and their cause.
As Moses applied this truth, he found that organization is important part of spiritual leadership.
Teach them his decrees and instructions and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. (Exodus 18:20)
Those with growing ministries and heavy responsibilities are most needful of this advice. Gordon MacDonald said, "The growing church can become a monster that devours the very person who helped create it."
Moses can avoid the pitfall of his responsibilities of spiritual leadership devouring him because he knowns and applies the Jethro principle. As a spiritual leader you no doubt know about the keeping demands and increasing responsibilities. You need to listen and apply the Jethro principle.
The answer is not working longer and harder. The answer is investing in leaders who will share the ministry. This will become your legacy as the future leaders grow.
Joshua was able to do what Moses could not do. Joshua led the Israelites into the promise land. Without developing the next generation of leaders, we fail our duty. Entrust in faithful leaders who will teach others also.
This is a great principle, but we do not need to think that Moses lived happily ever after. He broke the ten commandment tablets in frustration, he his the rock that meant he could not lead the people into the promise land and their was untold amounts of grumbling against Moses.
Even with the Jethro principle there are great challenges to spiritual leadership. But in a time when burn out statistics go through the roof for spiritual leaders listen to the wise father-in-law of Moses. Share your ministry. Train up and trust new leaders. It is the most important work you will do.
