“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.”
(Numbers 11:16-17, ESV)
There comes a time when the work is too great for one man. Here, the people had complained to Moses that all they had was manna to eat. Because of this, Moses became frustrated in carrying the burdens of the people. He stated that he was “not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy” (Numbers 11:14).
While carrying the burdens of people is a challenge, the carrying of the complaints of people is probably the most stressful, frustrating, and thus tiring situation that a leader must face. The weight of Israel’s burdens and complaints had taken Moses to a point of frustration. This was not good for Moses or the people. Moses needed help and the Lord established a structure using the elders to help Moses carry the load of the people.
In the New Testament, we see a similar structure for the church. We are to have elders that shepherd the church together. Along with the elders, the church has deacons that provide care and mercy ministry to the parishioners. Moreover, the Lord has called every parishioner to serve in the church using his or her spiritual gifts to build up the whole body. When all these offices function harmoniously, we do not see one man becoming frustrated or tired, but rather see a thriving and healthy church.
The point is this. We can make things better by changing our approach to the ministry. First, the church must establish a structure where one man does not have to manage everything going on. Second, everyone must be careful to curb complaining and become a constructive and positive influence in the church. Third, every parishioner must find their appointed place of service and get involved in the church’s ministry. It has been my experience that when every parishioner catches a vision for serving the Lord and does his or her part, that the parishioners are happier, the complaints disappear, and the leaders do a much better job.
Renewing the Heart 