Your stack of work continues to mount up. Your email inbox seems endless, along with a string of notifications from texts, Slack, and other communication platforms. It might even seem that every conversation you have ends with more items on the to-do list.
We find ourselves in a societal moment of burnout. Our politics have surfaced polarized debates. The pandemic has created angst, uncertainty, and worry. Not to mention, many of you feel the weight of serving your family, friends, and coworkers.
Exodus 18 records a timely interaction between Moses and his father-in-law Jethro. Moses goes to sit down as a judge for the millions of Israelites in the wilderness. Imagine trying to adjudicate the conflicts of individuals of the whole nation by yourself.
Jethro sees Moses and then makes this comment in Exodus 18:17-18:
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.
Exodus 18:17-18
We all need Jethros in our lives. Those individuals who lovingly confront our weariness and exhaustion. They care enough to slow us down to identify the crazy in front of us.
We also need to be a Jethro to other people. You have people in your life who feel the weight and burden of this season. Rather than adding to their burnout, you can acknowledge the challenge of this season.
The interaction of Jethro and Moses provides helpful questions for us to combat burnout in our own lives.
Here a few questions for you or others facing burnout in this season:
What values do you need to share? (Exodus 18:19)
Jethro calls Moses to see his role to the people. Rather than responding to every single issue brought by the nation, Moses needs to teach people the right way to live. Share the core values and hear from God how on the best investment of your time.
What’s the role God has given me? (Exodus 18:20)
We try to carry a load that was never ours to carry. Moses was not God, but he represented God. There’s a vast difference. When we face burnout, we need to decipher the role God has given us instead of adding responsibilities.
Who can help you, and who can you raise up? (Exodus 18:21-22)
Jethro invites Moses to see the people around him. There were leaders who could share the load, but he had to be willing to ask. It does take time to develop others, but it could make a lasting difference in your situation. In some cases, there are people who are more willing to help than we could ever expect.
Today, if you feel burned out, I would encourage you to re-read Exodus 18. Your identity comes from Jesus’s death and resurrection. Burnout places our focus on our production and performance. God, in His kindness, places Jethros in our lives to redirect us to Him.
Photo by Alina Rubo on Unsplash