“Moses’ father-in-law then said to him, ‘The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, then admonish them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that they will bring to you every major matter, but they will judge every minor matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will carry the burden with you. If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their places in peace.’” Exodus 18:17-23

In the routines and busyness of daily life, we can take on way too much and become bogged down to the point we are overloaded and stressed. We try to juggle so many things and struggle to keep up, but our need for help is not always obvious. Our tasks often become a part of a cultivated identity we take pride in, and we struggle to even know how to ask for help in the areas we need it.

Jethro encouraged Moses to get help in his role as the judge of Israel. This was not an insult to Moses’s ability or an attempt to undermine his leadership but a genuine concern for Moses’s capacity and an awareness that others could help. Jethro’s words to Moses ring true for us today: We often need help! We need to learn we cannot do everything on our own. God created us as finite beings who have limits and need His help and the help of others. When we do everything on our own, we face burnout and overwhelming burden. Thankfully, the weight of the world does not fall on you. You can ask for help from God and from the people around you as you pursue His work together.

• What do you struggle to ask for help with? Why?
• When has someone helped you with something you were previously carrying on your own? How did that impact you?
• Pray and ask God to show you where you are carrying too much on your own and ask Him to show you how you can grow in asking for help from Him and others.