Daily Devotion, July 11, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read Exodus 18:13-26.

Do you remember group projects in school? Nothing is harder than learning to work with a team of your peers. It was hard when I was a teenager, and it’s hard now that I’m past middle age.

A good team shares the load. Each member of the team is trustworthy, motivated, and highly competent.

Delegating and sharing the load with a team is an important step toward sustainable work. This was the first part of Jethro’s advice to Moses, his son-in-law, but it wouldn’t have been good advice without the next part.

The team Moses built would determine his success. And the same is true for any of us.

So, what makes a good team?

1. People must be capable—highly competent, highly skilled for the task at hand.
2. People must fear God—humbly understanding their own limitations.
3. People must be trustworthy—motivated to serve others rather than themselves.

In a sense, we burn out because we aren’t training good people, empowering them and motivating them to do good work. If we remember the wisdom of Jethro and if God so commands, we will be able to endure the pressures of our daily work as Moses endured his.

Personal Worship Option:

Dear Father, thank you for creating us to do life together. Help us to learn to work together to accomplish all that you put before us to do. Teach me to depend on the church family you have given me. Amen.