Seek Wisdom And Apply Humility

Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.

Exodus 18:17-19

One of the ways God speaks to us is through the wisdom and advice of other Christians. Of course, the Bible holds precedence over any word somebody might offer, but in cases where the offered words of encouragement or direction line up with Scripture, we would do well to pray fervently over the advice and discern whether it is truly of God, and if yes, to act accordingly. God can speak through anyone (or anything) He wishes, but He will most often use the people who are close to us and know us best, because they are the ones we are most likely to pay attention to.

Take a look at this example from Exodus 18– Moses has just led the people of Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness. Moses has seen God’s power at work: the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the provision of manna, the water from the rock, etc. At this point in history, Moses probably knows God better than any other man ever has. Every day, Moses presides as judge over disputes between the people and acts as the voice of God on their behalf. Then, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, shows up. After Moses tells Jethro all that God has done for the people of Israel, Jethro believes in God, saying “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.” The following day, when Jethro sees Moses acting as judge among the people, he says to Moses, “The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you.” Jethro goes on to outline a plan for more effectively governing the people. And Moses does exactly as Jethro suggests.

We must take a moment here to admire Moses’ humility. Keep in mind that Moses is about 80 years old at this point, and his father-in-law, who just heard about God for the first time about 24 hours prior, is trying to give him advice on how to handle the people of Israel. Why should Jethro know better than Moses how to lead the Israelites? Even though Jethro was a “new believer,” if you will, God used him to speak to Moses. God had been speaking directly and audibly to Moses for awhile, so it would seem that if God wanted the people governed as Jethro suggested He could have just told Moses, but I believe God does it this way to humble Moses. And indeed Moses proves himself to be humble.

Now, we may think: “Obviously Moses could see that Jethro’s advice was reasonable and beneficial, so of course he listened and did as he was advised.” To that I ask: how many times have you been given advice that you knew was solid and Biblically accurate, and yet you did not follow it because of the person whom it was spoken through, or because of your own pride in thinking that you knew better, or any other reason?

We want to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength? Then we need to Humble ourselves before Him and listen for Him speaking to us. When we are having difficulty discerning God’s will for a particular struggle or decision, seek the counsel of parents, pastors, mentors, and friends with a humble heart, willing to listen. It may also take humility to confess our own inability to understand a situation, or to cope with a struggle, but as we are faithful to do so, God is faithful to speak and to further our sanctification in the process. God’s part here is to speak truth into our lives, to direct us and guide us. Our part is to actively seek that direction and then to follow it diligently for His ultimate glory!