Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘What you
are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these
people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Exodus 18:17-18
Have
you ever felt overwhelmed in a task and not known where to turn for help? Have you ever been unwilling to ask? Well, you’re not alone. Even Moses found himself overwhelmed with his
task of serving as judge for the people and felt like he had to do it all
himself. When he finally turned to his
father-in-law, Jethro, he got a little dose of reality and a lot of sound
advice. Jethro told Moses, “Let them sit as judges for the people at all times;
let them bring every important case to you, but decide every minor case
themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with
you. If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure,
and all these people will go to their home in peace.” Moses took the advice of
his father-in-law and things went a lot better after that.
The
task of ministry is too heavy for us to do alone. When the bulk of responsibility
is carried by a few, people are likely to wear out just like Moses. The wisdom
of Jethro is just as pertinent today as it was then. By involving many, many people
in the tasks of ministry, the burden is light and the joy of shared purpose is
great. Sharing the heavy load of ministry strengthens communities, inspires
individuals, and enables God’s servants to endure over the long haul.
I
will never forget a nugget of wisdom that my first supervisor in ministry
shared with me. “Ministry is about constantly trying to work yourself out of a
job.” This was not the most welcome wisdom at the time because I had just
started my first job as a youth director. As I continued in ministry, however,
I discovered what that phrase really means. As we teach others the job we’re
currently doing – working ourselves out of one role – our job shifts into more
of an overseer, leader, or developer. We will always have a ‘job’ in ministry,
but it is constantly changing as we involve and equip others to share the load
with us.
In
my role as pastor, I am constantly thinking about ways to ‘work myself out of a
job’ by teaching and involving others in ministry. That is, I believe, what
ministry is all about. Moses learned it from Jethro and Jesus modeled it for
his disciples. In going about ministry this way, I have discovered that God
always seems to find more – and different – work for me to do.
Whether
you are just now considering sharing your gifts or you have been a committed
servant on multiple committees for decades; whether you have loads of time and
are longing for volunteer opportunities or you are able to offer one hour a
month; I invite you to join with all the many gifted members of our faith
community in sharing the load of ministry so that the joy of serving will endure
in this church for another 84 years.
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Chris Steubing
