Albeit, there are times when leaning on others is not only selfless,
but is also in the best interest of everyone involved.
A
few years back, my pastor’s wife
approached me about leading
a Bible study for one evening. I
didn’t feel like preparing for it, so
instead I invited everyone at the small group
to bring something to share. Rather than
asking God for guidance about my brilliant
idea, I forged ahead with my convenient
“time-saving” plan. Overall, the evening
didn’t go very smoothly (in fact, it got a lit-
tle bit awkward). Which leads us to a pretty
obvious, yet easily forgotten bit of wisdom:
It is generally not a good idea to ask for
help just because you don’t feel like doing it
yourself!
Albeit, there are times when leaning
on others is not only selfless, but is also in
the best interest of everyone involved. God
didn’t give us a church, friends and family
as mere trinkets on the shelves of our lives.
He intended for us to bear each other’s
burdens. And in doing so, we not only
benefit ourselves but lift others up as well.
This is beautifully illustrated in the
early stages of Moses’s leadership of the Isra-
elites. After God had miraculously delivered
his people out of Egypt, Moses received a
visit from his father-in-law Jethro. It didn’t
take Jethro long to realize that his son-in-law
was doing too much on his own. Everyone
was going to Moses to have their disputes
judged and he would also teach them God’s
ways in the process. However, there was
a problem. Moses was shouldering these
responsibilities without the help of others.
Seeing this, Jethro confronts him. “What is
this that you are doing for the people? Why
do you sit alone, and all the people stand
around you from morning till evening?”
(Exodus 18:14b emphasis mine). Now Jethro
is not only concerned about Moses, but also
addresses the needs of the people. He sees
that Moses will burn himself out and that
the Israelites will do likewise. Therefore, he
continues with this advice to Moses:
“The thing that you are doing is not good.
“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. “Now listen to
me: I will give you counsel, and God be with
you. You be the people’s representative before
God, and you bring the disputes to God, then
teach them the statutes and the laws, and make
known to them the way in which they are to walk
and the work they are to do. “Furthermore, you
shall select out of all the people able men who
fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest
gain; and you shall place these over them as
leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and
of tens. “Let them judge the people at all times;
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