Jethro watches his son-in-law work one ordinary day and tells him the truth. This is not good. You will wear yourself out, and you will wear out the people waiting on you.
You may know this kind of day. The inbox is full before breakfast. Everyone at church knows to call you because you always say yes. Your phone buzzes during dinner and you answer because no one else knows how the system works. You are tired in a way that sleep does not fix, and part of you is a little proud of it.
Moses was doing holy work. People came to him to inquire of God, and he taught them God’s statutes and settled their disputes. Nothing about the work was wrong. The problem was that he sat alone from morning until evening with a line of people standing around him. Jethro does not tell him to stop caring. He tells him the task is too heavy for one person.
The advice that follows is practical. Moses should keep the part only he can do, which is bringing the people’s causes before God and teaching them how to live. Then he should find trustworthy, God-fearing people and hand them the smaller cases. Jethro says the result will be that Moses can endure and the people can go home in peace. The burnout was hurting the people too. They were standing in line all day.
Moses listened and did everything Jethro said. That may be the most surprising line in the chapter. A leader who had stood before Pharaoh took correction from his father-in-law and changed how he worked.
Burnout is often a sign that you have confused being faithful with being the only one. Today, write down every recurring task you carry at work, at home, and at church. Circle the one or two that truly require you. Pick one task that is not circled and ask a specific person to take it over, this week, with a clear handoff. Then let them do it their way.
