IT’S NOT GOOD

Moses was the designated, anointed leader of Israel and Exodus 12:37 reveals there were six hundred thousand men plus women and children given to his charge when they departed from Egypt. The Bible also states that at the beginning of their wilderness experience Moses would judge the people’s problems from morning till evening and this process went on until Jethro his wise father-in-law said these words to him, “The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou shalt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone”  (Exodus 18:17-18). Moses had taken on a huge solo responsibility that needed to be delegated, and shared with others and he needed someone to point out the error of his sincere actions.

In our churches today, we see the same scenario; either the pastor is doing all of the work, or a small percentage of the congregation is assisting in maintaining the ministry. Statistics have shown that many pastors are burned-out because they are doing too much when they really need to be giving themselves over to prayer and to the ministry of the Word (Act 6:1- 4). We need to pray for pastors that they will realize God has not called them to do everything, that they must share the load, that they should not be intimidated by the congregants who expect them to do everything and that they learn to say, “No.”

Also, unfortunately, I have found congregants often think the church belongs to the pastor, they do not think, “this is our church” and even better, “this is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Many congregants do not realize how we serve in our church reflects how we view our standing in that church. They do not realize the success or failure of their church depends on them.

Paul in his writings to the church of Ephesus states, “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted (framed and knit together) by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying (building up) of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:16) God has equipped each member with the skills and gifts that are to be dispersed. Each individual is needed, and when we lovingly come together, supporting one another and getting the work of the ministry done, no individual will feel stressed, overworked, and abused.

So, today as I concluded this blog, I pray you will join me in praying that each one of us will measure up to the standard that God has purposed for our lives, that we will be doing the work in the ministry where we are assigned and that no one will be able to view or church and say, “It’s not good.”