By the Way: The Biblical Design for Distributive Responsibility
By Medicine Hat News on October 5, 2024.
In Numbers 11 we read about Moses finally having enough of leadership. During his time leading the people of Israel out of Egypt and through the desert, he was subjected to near constant complaining and the demand for more of his time and energy. Moses was at his wits end, he could not handle the pressure and criticism anymore; in other words, he was burnt out. In fact, Moses was so burnt out that he actually asked God to end his life rather than be forced to continue in the working conditions he found himself in (cf. Numbers 11:15). Now we might look at this and say that Moses was being a bit overdramatic, but the problem of burnout is real. Burnout is experienced by millions of people every year, and it is one of the leading causes behind people pursuing a career change. Like Moses, many people get to the end of their proverbial ropes and feel as though they can go no further. Interestingly, God’s answer to Moses, and thus to anyone experiencing the burden of leadership, is to enact distributive leadership. God commands Moses to gather several competent, capable, and respected leaders among the Israelites and then God gave them the same Spirit given to Moses so that they might help him with the tasks of leadership (cf. Numbers 11:24-25). This blueprint for distributive leadership is a valuable one, it teaches us that we cannot and should not do it all on our own. Humans were created for community; we were created with interdependency in mind. For example, consider a hospital: Could a hospital operate with only one doctor? One nurse? One orderly? One custodian? One administrator? Certainly not! A hospital requires hundreds of staff all trained to fulfill the unique and important roles that keep the facility operating well. So too, in many areas of life, including the church, we must engage in distributive leadership so that we can share the load and thus not suffer burnout. Pastor Roland Weisbrot is the Lead Pastor of Victory Lutheran Church. 17-16
