Day by Day - May 4, 2009

May 4, 2009

The Secret to Staying Balanced, Part Two
by Charles R. Swindoll

Thanks to Moses's father-in-law, Jethro, the great leader was able to confront a long-standing habit, which was wearing him down. Working so hard that you never have a break will wear anyone down, as we saw in a previous devotional. I commend Jethro for telling his son-in-law the truth. He didn't stutter: "The thing that you are doing is not good" (Exodus 18:17).

Before any need for change can be recognized, we have to face the truth. Thankfully, Moses did just that. Rather than arguing, he listened and did the right thing. He shared the burden of leadership. As you read yesterday, he "chose able men . . . and made them heads over the people" (18:25). The act of delegation works best when those who are given a share of the load are qualified to handle those responsibilities. What a relief that must have been to Moses! As a result, he finally took time to relax.

I hope you didn't miss something very important that Jethro said to Moses. He urged Moses to do this "so it will be easier for you . . . then you will be able to endure" (18:22-23). Working smarter is the ticket, not working harder. And the ultimate payoff: you'll "endure"!

I'm convinced that one of the reasons Moses remained so productive and healthy right up to the very end of that last 40-year segment of his life was that he learned the importance of delegating his heavy load of responsibility. Doing that allowed him sufficient time for R & R---rest and relaxation. We can all learn some vital lessons from ol' Moses.

By the way, he lived to be 120---healthy to the very end. His epitaph?

Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. (Deuteronomy 34:7)

Every time I read that, I smile.