Lesson 8. Sharing the load isn't a sign of defeat; on the contrary, it's Biblical!

Our second new minister started this week. He will be overseeing our High School youth ministry, as well as various other aspects. Already I can tell we're going to be a great team- we think along the same lines, have the same goals and changes we'd like to bring to the group, and are about the same age, too. The elders have stressed over and over how much they labored over their hiring decisions to make sure they hired two people who would work well together as a team.

I'm thrilled to have our new minister here. However, it means sharing the load and making decisions, for the most part, as 2 people instead of 1. When I think about the idea of sharing responsiblity when it was needed most, I think back to Moses and the advice his father-in-law, Jethro, gave him during the wilderness wanderings. Jethro could tell Moses had too much on his plate as the leader of over a million Israelites. Moses had no one to delegate to, and se everything-from the tiniest squabble to the biggest pickle- came before him for his decision. After all, he was God's man, let him handle it! Upon seeing this, Jethro took Moses aside to give him some advice I think all of us, including me, need to hear. He told him he had taken on too much, and gave him a system to meat out the responsibility. Judges over various groups and levels and the Israelites were put in place, and from then on only the largest and most pressing issues came before Moses.

Surprisingly, this gave Moses more of what he wanted- the ability to really LEAD God's people, instead of constantly making decisions and listening to arguments. Leading isn't about making every decision. Leading well is about good delegating, knowing who is better suited for a task when you aren't, and knowing your limits. Our new minister has a head for sports and athletics that I don't, and so I know he'll bring a whole new level of fun and leadership to our youth program.

Sharing the load isn't a sign of defeat- in fact, the success is much more obvious and complete when 2 people put their heads together! I pray God will give all of us the eyes to see when we need help, and for Him to bring those people into our lives. Ministry isn't a one-man show...ever.