We are ten days back from our restful vacation, and suddenly, I’m not sure it was enough. My bride is training new workers at her former company—online, mind you—but the stress is significant because these new workers will soon be doing what she used to do. She retired at a perfect time, having spent decades building up her skills to handle the workload.
Me? I slept a lot. Vacation was a vaccination against a busy schedule. My aging life needed the downtime, and I’m thankful we had a week of rest.
Looking back over our shoulders, we realize that retiring time is necessary—not “retired,” but having some quality time retiring from hard work.
Since late 2019, we went from dealing with deaths close to us, moved into a life of a pandemic, raising a pack of German Shepherds, and taking our time dealing with life as we saw fit. It’s now 2024, and we are approaching five years of life later, which suddenly looks like it’s getting out of kilter.
It came to mind that no one speaks into our lives about what to do next and how to get there. We pray and study the moment and await God’s direction. That’s what we all do, I’m sure.
Then, I pause and consider the wealthy and Top Ten companies. Undoubtedly, the owner/CEO doesn’t do everything, right? There’s a company culture and a tiered approach to getting everything done. It took years of planning for the company to end up where it is today. When you invest in stocks, you are not just betting on the financial growth built on luck. You are investing in the idea of the company, and that’s partly a culture.
Wait a moment! Could I be doing this? Sure. Why Not?
Precedence
The early disciples probably followed the same logic as Jesus presented to them: Build together, make new disciples, and incorporate them into the vision and mission. That Apostle out of season, Paul, appears to have done it the best.
Go back further in time. Look at Moses. He spent 40 years in Egypt, and then 40 years in the desert, and now he’s facing the next 40 years of life with people who are struggling to change 400 years of culture and living.
After the success of leaving Egypt, his father-in-law, the Priest of Midian (Jethro), brings Moses’ wife to him in the wilderness. Every day, Moses faces the needs of millions and tries to handle everything on his own. This can’t be good for him, just as I know I’m not as old as Moses, and it wouldn’t be good for me.
Jethro approaches him. Listen to his concerns and his guidance. (And as at other times, don’t just read these scriptures. Read the “before and after.”
And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people;
and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.
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?”
And Moses said to his father-in-law,
“Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
When they have a difficulty, they come to me,
and I judge between one and another;
and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”
So Moses’ father-in-law said to him,
“The thing that you do is not good.
Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out.
For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.
Listen now to my voice;
I will give you counsel,
and God will be with you:
Stand before God for the people,
so that you may bring the difficulties to God.
And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws,
and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.
Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God,
men of truth, hating covetousness;
and place such over them to be rulers of thousands,
rulers of hundreds,
rulers of fifties,
and rulers of tens.
And let them judge the people at all times.
Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you,
but every small matter they themselves shall judge.
So it will be easier for you,
for they will bear the burden with you.
If you do this thing,
and God so commands you,
then you will be able to endure,
and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”
(Exodus 18:13-23 NKJV)
Set up leaders capable of handling a fair share of the “business” and train them to manage their piece of the pie. I’m sure they will progress to the next step as they improve their record. If anything becomes difficult, they pass the baton to the next higher level, and eventually, the most challenging cases will end up at Moses.
I’m too old to do too much with change, right? No! You may not have the longevity to see the shift build a strong foundation, but if you do it now and step it out correctly, the slight change you make today will extend into future generations.
One degree of rudder change will be noticed down the road. One degree of temperature change takes us into freezing or boiling. One kind word or deed will replicate itself unseen into the future.
Now. Answer the question. What are you doing?
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