The Leader Who Stands
Is your leadership at a standstill? Has the mission been lost in the myriad needs of ministry?
Here’s an energy prescription for your leadership and for helping your church or ministry rediscover its mission – an Rx that will enable you to stand strong as a leader for a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry.
It comes from someone not known for his leadership, but instead for his ability to help a good leader become a great one.
In the book of Exodus, God sets the people of God free from slavery in Egypt. With this new freedom comes God’s promise to lead them to a new homeland, one filled with His blessing, a hope, and a future.
To lead the people, God sends Moses. His mission is to conduct the people of God from Egypt, through the wilderness, to Canaan. To ensure success, God gives His presence to Israel, represented in the cloud and the pillar of fire that stand over the tabernacle day and night. Wherever the pillar goes, Moses and the people simply need to follow: the God who had been faithful to deliver them out of slavery would be faithful to lead them into the full blessings of their new freedom in the Promised Land.
But in Exodus 18, the people of God are at a standstill. Set free from slavery to Egypt, they are in slavery again – this time to themselves. Given from God a homeland of incredible blessing, they have instead chosen for themselves a home in the desert.
The issue? Their own day-to-day problems.
Even though their problem of slavery had been erased, the people of God had discovered new problems – personal problems, family problems, neighbor problems. The people knew that God had chosen Moses as their leader, so it seemed only natural to take these issues to the leader that God had given them.
As is common among leaders, Moses does his best to help his people. And evidently he is very good at it, because before long, there is a line of people waiting to talk with Moses. The line is so long that Moses sets up an office (a chair really) and a system for personally helping people with their problems (meet their needs). Most pastors would call this ministry success. But is it?
Every day, Moses takes his place, the line reforms, and Moses spends his day addressing the issues and needs of his people. But at the end of the day, the line stretching before him has not grown shorter, but longer: the number of problems is greater and the people needing help are more numerous.
Every day, . . .
The line of needs grows longer;
The people of God drive their tent stakes deeper in the desert;
And the Promised Land grows more and more dim in their eyes.
So much for ministry success.
Sound familiar, minister of the Gospel?
A wise counselor arrives on the scene in the person of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. Jethro tells Moses that what he is doing is not good: it is not at all helping the people of God and it is killing Moses. To save himself, the people, and the mission of God, Moses needs to lead his people in a new way.
Look for a moment at the direction that Jethro gives Moses, a prescription for a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry leadership: “Moses, lead people this way and not only will you be effective in the here and now, but you will build for a lifetime of healthy and effective leadership.”
Stand before God for the people – v.19
“First things first, Moses. This is a spiritual ministry, so priority one for you is personal worship and intercession before God for the people. Don’t do anything as a leader until you have first gone before God to worship Him and seek His favor on you and the people. Do not surrender to the urgency of human needs. Instead, submit yourself to the eternal source and supply for all power and provision.”
God places Himself first in Moses’ life and leadership and tells Moses to echo this priority, not in theory but in daily practice. As Creator, Lord, and Life Source, God knows that He is exactly who and what Moses needs. Rather than adding Himself to the mix of Moses’ life and leadership, God insists on the first place. To adapt a well-known verse of Scripture: Moses is to seek first the King and His righteousness and all other necessary things will be taken care of.
Stand before the people for God – v.20
“Moses, after first having spent time in worship and prayer, you will know what I want to speak to my people: you will be able to preach my “decrees” to them and teach them my “laws.” Only after you have spent time before me, will you then be able to speak to them my Word. But able you will be.”
“Decrees” speak of the specific duties that God requires of us, while “laws” refer to the general responsibilities we bear before Him. Taken together, they express the whole counsel of God, given to us to teach us how to live life in right relationship with Him in anticipation of the day we stand before Him for judgment. It is only after we have stood before God in worship and prayer that we dare speak of such awesome truths for Him to His people.
Stand between God and the people – v.20
“Moses, after coming before me for prayer and then standing before the people to speak my Word, you must then lead the people in the direction, the way, they are to go – show them “the way to live” and their “duties” along the way as they live as they are supposed to.”
“The way to live” speaks of the way we live out the decrees and laws of God, our lifestyle, if you will: here is the truth of God on a certain subject, so here is the approach you are to take in living out that truth. “Duties” speaks to us of our tasks and responsibilities on earth as we seek to live out the values and ways of heaven in this life: these are the markers, the indicators that tell us we are on course.
Stand aside – v.22
“Instead of doing all the ministry yourself, Moses, you are only to do what no one else can do: not what the people say only you can do, but only that which actually only you can do. Stop getting bogged down in the daily details, Moses! Get back to the original orders that I gave you: lead this people to the Promised Land, let others deal with the daily stuff while bringing to you only those issues that specifically require you and your attention.”
“Moses, appoint ministers with whom you can share the work, people who will take the load off of you and onto themselves so that you can take the lead for all of us.
“Who are these qualified ministers? They will known by these qualities: (v.21)
- Able – they the ability to actually do the work that is needed;
- Fear God – Spiritual people; deep in wisdom;
- Trustworthy – Faithfulness in character and in duty;
- Pure Motivation – They serve for the glory of God and the good of others with NO thought to self;
- Servants – Not dictators but servant leaders of the people; not directors, but servant helpers to the leader; people who meet needs by doing the work of the ministry.”
“In general, Moses, do only what no one else can do (v.22). Do this by allowing:
- everyone to do what anyone can do,
- many to do what many can do;
- a few to do what only a few can do;
“As you do this, you will:
MULTIPLY General Ministry – you will provide for the every day ministry needs;
MAXIMIZE Specialized Ministry – you will be able to strategically lead and meet special needs.
“In this way, Moses, not only will your leadership ensure that the needs of the people are met, but even more importantly, you will be able to pull your tent stakes out of the desert sands and get the people back on track in the mission God has given you – the Promised Land.
“In this way, Moses, you and your leadership will stand in a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry.”
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Saddled with large student debt, just beginning to set up homes and start families, and serving in low paying first and second positions, Millennials are those who most desire but can least afford to pay for pastoral coaching.
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