25 January | EVERYONE
"So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?'" Exodus 18: 14
The crowd waited their turn in line, despite the hellish desert heat. Men and women, young and old, faced the patient wait to speak with their leader. Moses, on the other hand, could not bear the burden. In the evening, he would come to his tent tired and troubled with so many problems. He had no time for his wife or children.
On one occasion Jethro, his father-in-law, came to visit him, and, seeing the calamitous situation of his son-in-law, made him reflect with his wise practical questions. Moses thought he was helping the people, but Jethro made him see that he was harming them rather than helping them. Without realizing it, he taught them to depend only on him. His method of leadership lacked wisdom. He had taken on the responsibility of managing his subjects alone, without anyone's collaboration. Perhaps, because he believed that if he delegated responsibilities, people would not be able to deal with them. I did not know that an effective leader teaches his or her followers how to act and does not do things for them.
The father-in-law's advice was to organize the people into small groups and appoint a leader in each of them. Heavenly idea! Inspired advice! The people stopped forming gigantic lines to talk to Moses, and he had the time and conditions to worry about bigger and more significant challenges.
All of us exercise some form of leadership in the family, in the community where we live, in school, in society, or in the church. The true leader inspires, makes people dream, delegates responsibilities to them, motivates them to action, teaches them, and above all leads them to the foot of the cross and to look to Jesus.
Take Action
Ask God today to help you develop your leadership by being a positive influence in the lives of the people around you.