In my last article, I shared some about how weariness can leave us exposed and vulnerable and why rest matters.
Today, I was thinking more about those things. Sometimes, being refreshed requires more than taking a break. It requires recognizing that maybe we were never meant to carry everything that we have taken on personally or alone.
Moses learned this in Exodus 18. He was serving the people from morning until evening, settling disputes and helping them understand God’s instructions. The work he did was critical, but the way he was carrying it was wearing him down.
His father-in-law, Jethro, saw this and stepped in to shed light from outside of the trench. Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.” -Exodus 18:17-18, ESV
He warned that Moses would wear out both himself and the people serving around him. The responsibility was too heavy for them to carry alone.
So hear this, friends: Moses had a calling from God. That did not mean every responsibility belonged on his shoulders alone.
Jethro advised him to appoint trustworthy, capable men to share the work. Moses would continue teaching and handling the difficult matters, while others carried responsibilities they were equipped to handle.
There were people available to help. Moses needed to make room for them, call them up, and give them purpose.
Sometimes we pray for relief while overlooking the provision God has already placed around us in our lives. We ask for strength but struggle to accept support. We keep doing everything ourselves because explaining, trusting, and releasing responsibility feels harder than simply doing it ourselves.
But knowing your limits is part of serving faithfully. Letting someone help gives them room to use the gifts and purpose that God has placed inside of them.
Your exhaustion is not proof of your obedience, and accepting help does not diminish your calling.
Moses listened, shared the load, and continued leading.
It’s time to take a beat… how do you, or those who need you most, need renewed or rested? Also, consider for a moment, who God has placed beside or around you. Someone may be willingly ready to help carry part of what has been wearing you down.
You may be asking God for provision while standing beside the very person He has sent for the purpose. Ask God for this discernment and discuss it with folks around you, maybe God will put the calling on their heart and they will surprisingly step forward. Then, check your pride, and proceed with the provision that God has made.
See also: https://theearlychurch.org/blog/when-weariness-becomes-a-weapon-against-us
~Devin
Devin Osborne
The Early Church
