Exodus 18:8-24 Management Skills for Life October 30, 2005
A Cleveland newspaper reported that Shawn Talty received an unusual court sentence to force him to take responsibility for his actions. Talty has fathered seven children with five women and owes more than $40,000 in back child support. Akron, Ohio judge James Kimbler has forbidden Talty from conceiving any more children during the next five years of court supervision until he takes responsibility. The newspaper did not tell how the court would supervise Talty’s activities.
How are you with responsibilities? Maybe you feel so overwhelmed that you can not see ahead? Moses faced this dilemma in the wilderness. But through the advice of Jethro his father in law, Moses found a way to manage his responsibilities. Notice, I said manage. Often we run around looking for a way to make all our difficulties go away. But life always has problems. Instead, we would be better off if we looked for some management skills to handle life. Jethro gave three lessons to Moses and I want to look at those today for our lives. First, to go to God. Second, understand God’s ways. Third, let the main things be the main thing.
How had Moses come to be so overwhelmed? He and the people had escaped Egypt. All was smooth sailing after that. But no. The wilderness was ahead of them. We are all prone to think that if we can just get past some barrier, then the rest of our lives will be smooth sailing. If I can just get my drivers license…when I just finish High School…If I can just complete my degree…When I get married….When I get that next promotion at work….When I can buy that bigger house…As soon as I retire. We keep thinking that the good life is right around the corner if we can ever get out of Egypt. But there is always another wilderness ahead, always new complexities in life. And we have to learn that the good life is not out there somewhere when all my problems are behind me. The good life is right now when I learn how to manage my responsibilities. What problems did Moses face after he escaped form Egypt? In Exodus chapter 15, the people were complaining due to lack of water. In chapter 16, the people were complaining due to lack of food. In chapter 17, the people threatened to kill Moses, choose new leaders, and go back to Egypt. And now in chapter 18, the people are coming to Moses day after day with personal issues, family arguments, and neighbor disputes. Moses was overwhelmed with responsibilities.
That is when Jethro comes to Moses with some good advice. Look at vs 17-18….Do you feel like the thing is too heavy for you and that you cannot perform it alone? That is a great place to be. You are ready to hear some wise counsel.
Look at verse 19. Moses first and primary task was to represent the people before God and to bring their problems to God in prayer. This was Moses priestly duty. To go to God in prayer and speak on behalf of the people. Did you know that is my primary responsibility as your pastor? Not running programs. Not visiting the sick. Not preaching. All those are important. But the most important task of a minister is to go to God on behalf of the congregation and their needs. My first task is to be in prayer for you.
Now did you know that your first task in your own life, in your family’s life, in your work life, in your church life is to be a priest, a prayer warrior? I Peter 2:9 says that you were called to a royal priesthood. And the main job of a priest is to pray. Moses main job was to pray for his people and their needs. Let me ask you—are you praying for the problems in your life? Are you praying for your family everyday? Are you praying for the detailed needs of their future? Are you praying for the people you know at work or school? Do you pray for your church and for your nation? Listen to me. We are unable to manage our heavy responsibilities because like the old hymn sings--we do not take it to the Lord in prayer. The first step in managing life is to spend time with God in prayer for ourselves and for the people in our lives.
Look at vs 20. After Moses had spent time with God, he was to then teach the people the way to live according to the Word of God. Prayer was Moses’ priestly duty. Teaching was his prophetic duty. It is not enough to simply pray with our hearts. We must also understand the teachings of God about how to live our life. That is the second job of a good pastor. To teach you the Word of God and the practical implications of how we live our lives as followers of Christ. Now maybe you ask—“how do I fit in here? I am not a preacher.” But you are to be the teacher of the Word into your own life so that you can personally understand the ways of God. Furthermore, you are called to help others—your family, friends, colleagues—to understand the ways of God about how to live life. Listen to me, when you understand God’s ways to live and then you model the Christian life in your own home, at work, at school, in your day to day life, you are going to go a long way toward managing the difficulties of life. Right living will begin to create a structure in your life which will aid you in carrying that heavy load.
Finally, look at vs 21. Jethro advises Moses to get his eyes on the big issues and to delegate other responsibilities to other people. That is a pastor’s third duty. Not to lead by myself, but to equip you to lead your own church. What about in your own personal life? This is a key personal management principle. If you want to be able to carry heavy responsibilities, you must keep your eyes on the big stuff. There was a bestseller book that came out maybe ten years ago entitled “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.” So much that we worry over is small stuff. Much of it we can just forget about. It is not really our problem, we just make it our problem. We need to allow other people to handle those responsibilities. We, ourselves, need to focus our sights and time and energy on the big stuff. The important stuff. What is the important stuff. Well, ask yourself this—“Is this going to matter at all a month from now? How about a year from now? How about ten years from now? Does this have eternal consequences? Is this really important to my life or is it just an urgent issue screaming for attention?” For too many of us, like Moses, our attention is scattered all over and we seem to get nothing really accomplished in life. But the most successful people in business, in sports, in entertainment, in life are focused people. In the old movie “Cities Slickers,” the old cowboy Curley tells Billy Crystal that this is the only thing that matters. “What’s that?” “The one thing. And everything else means nothing.” Successful people understand what matters, what is important to them.
So how are you doing with the burdens you must carry? Are you in prayer? Are you understanding the Word and then living it in a disciplined life? Are you staying focused on the big stuff? Moses found relief from his burdens by learning some godly management skills. Moses would still face crises, complaints, even war in the wilderness. Like all of us, Moses problems would never be behind him. But by managing his responsibilities, Moses found the joy in living. So can you.