“Moses’ father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone… 

…But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain… That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.’” 

The Israelites were living in unprecedented circumstances following their exodus from Egypt. They were beginning completely anew, journeying in the wilderness without a judicial process, government, or law. The people looked to one man for wisdom in how to follow the ways and wisdom of Yahweh. Moses was becoming everything to everyone, and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, noted that what he was doing was “not good.” Moses needed help. 

Many of us, like Moses, are also serving in areas of the world where the wisdom of the one true God is new territory or been long neglected. Communities and people groups may have long been living under the authority of the enemy, and as we see the Good News of the Gospel transform these spaces in which we are serving, we begin taking on a great spiritual burden. Though this burden is one founded on a genuine desire for others to know Christ and His ways, it can often get twisted and compounded into an exhausting and heavy weight that steals our joy.  

Most of us have probably experienced some variation of burnout. Maybe we’re facing it right now. 

Perhaps we, like Moses, need the wisdom Jethro imparted to his son-in-law to alleviate some of these burdens that too often lead to too many saints feeling weighed down and burnt out. 

Notice how Moses responded, as well. He did not push back or continue in isolation in his own strength. He showed humility to the advice of his elder, and it was to the great benefit of not only himself, but also to the people he was serving.  

Maybe the Spirit is prompting us to share these burdens with a trusted friend or mentor and seek their help. Maybe there are places in ministry we need to temporarily step away from, or maybe we can begin praying for someone else to train and then delegate certain roles or tasks. Perhaps we need to start with counseling, to have a professional who can guide us toward truth and healing. 

God did not mean for us to run ourselves into the ground for the sake of ministry. Remember friend, His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). Come to Him with your weariness, accept the help wherever and through whoever He is giving it, and step into the soul rest only He offers, no matter the burdens you are facing.