Avoiding Ministry Burnout: A Lesson from Jethro Regarding Delegation

Listen to Today’s Passage – Exodus 16 – 18

Follow along on Blue Letter Bible – Exodus 16

(Second Milers also read – Luke 5 – 6; Proverbs 25; Psalms 121 – 125

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:1 – 4

Read previous posts from this passage – “Murmuring” and “Remember Sunday.”

Read the “0125 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today by  Charles  Spurgeon.

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? … Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. … If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.” – (Exodus 18:13-14, 18, 23-24)

Jethro’s Observation

In our passage today, we see that Moses gets a visit from his father-in-law who is not an Israelite but apparently had placed his faith in the Lord (see Exodus 18:11 – 12). While visiting with Moses, Jethro got a chance to observe the day-to-day ministry of his son-in-law and determined that Moses was doing way more than any man could handle by himself. Moses was judging and advising the large congregation of Israel all by himself from early in the morning until late at night. Moses, like many leaders, apparently felt that he was the only one who could do the job right, so he did it alone. However, Jethro knew that if Moses kept up that pace without getting any help, he would wear down physically and eventually would become less effective at what God had called him to do.

Jethro’s Advice

Jethro advised Moses to allow other godly men within the congregation to share in the burden that Moses was carrying. Moses would still be in charge, and he would handle all the important matters, but others would be assisting him in dealing with the day-to-day decisions within the congregation. This advice given by Jethro helped in several ways:

1. Moses got the help that he needed, which freed him up to dedicate more time and do a better job in the more important matters.
2. Moses was probably less stressed and better rested than before.
3. The congregation was served better. Even though Moses may have been able to do a better job than most of his helpers, he certainly could not get as much accomplished as all of them together. More was getting more done.
4. Leaders were being developed within the congregation. People need to be given opportunities to serve if they are going to be able to grow.

Application

If our ministries are going to get all the help that they need today to fulfil the will of God, more people than just the pastor are going to have to be involved. The pastor must work at developing leaders and delegating responsibility. This is why discipleship and developing mentoring relationships is critically important. Paul told Timothy:

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim 2:2)

Caution: Always Filter Advice Through God

A secondary thought from this passage is that Moses was willing to listen to advice, even from a guy that was not an Israelite and may not have been a believer very long. Pride will sometimes keep us from listening to sound wisdom. God will often use people to teach us things, even people from different spiritual perspectives. Jethro was “the priest of Midian” (Exodus 3:1 & 18:1), so he was a Gentile who had apparently become a believer in Israel’s God. When listening to people who are either not believers or perhaps are  believers but from a significantly different theological perspective, caution should be taken:

• We should be ready to listen.
• We need to make sure their advice is in agreement (or at least not in disagreement) with the principles given by God in His Word.
• We need to check with God prayerfully to see if the advice given is in fact His will.

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14)

“Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” (Proverbs 15:22)

“1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalms 1:1–2)

Questions for Reflection

Who in your life might God be using to offer you wise counsel right now?

Are there areas in your ministry where you’re carrying too much alone?

How can you start identifying and developing leaders in your congregation this week?

Note – This is an expanded and revised version of a post originally published in 2022.