Moses was a leader chosen by God. In the book of Exodus we read of his experience leading, mainly leading the Israelite nation from captivity on a forty year journey in the wilderness before they would enter the Promised Land. A leader chosen by God to lead His people, yet a leader who needed development. Though God gave Moses this monumental task, God did not give him every facet of expert leadership ability. Instead God placed around Moses others with complementary personalities and leadership skills. Moses had Aaron and Mariam and later Joshua and others.
Exodus chapter eighteen tells us of one lesson in leadership for Moses from an unlikely source.
Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”
“What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’ father-in-law said to him. “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone. Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.” Exodus 18:5-6, 13-23 (HCSB)
Moses had the daunting task of leading God’s people, yet God did not give Moses all the ability, skill, and gifts needed to be the sole person responsible for leadership and administration. Neither did God extend the day for Moses to have enough time to solely take on the task. Moses needed to share the responsibility of leadership and trust God that all would be okay. Moses’ greatest need was not necessarily skill, but the need to recognize effective deployment of leadership and implementation of God’s plans. Moses was attempting to manage people and all their predicaments instead of leading the Israelite nation.
The same is true for you and me today. Whether you are pastor, teacher of a Sunday School class, a leader of any ministry group or organization outside the church, God has placed around you complementary personalities with complementary gifts and skills. Do not try to be Superman or the Lone Ranger because that is not who God created you to be.