Exodus 18: Stop Trying to Do Everything

¹³ The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. ¹⁴ When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?” -Exodus 18:13-14

Moses could part the sea by God’s power. He could turn water to blood and change his walking stick into a snake. But there was something he couldn’t do–everything.

He certainly tried. When his father-in-law came to visit, Moses dismissed himself to begin his sunrise to sunset role as judge and mediator. He returned exhausted. Jethro offered a voice of reason, “What is this you are doing for the people?”

Moses was a great leader, but he was only one leader.

Jethro offered a plan to limit the involvement of Moses to something reasonable, not impossible.

Maybe you need the same change.

You are a great person with tremendous strength and talents. But you are one person.

Stop trying to do everything. No one can. Not even Moses.

Only God can do anything. He has given you a role in his plan, not the entire plan. Seek the place he would have you to serve. You’ll find yourself happier, healthier, and even…holier.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.