One important concept to master as a leader is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. The next skill is recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of others. Then you can match people and skills to the task at hand and set the team up for success. Sometimes the answer is additional training. Other times it is delegation.
There are times when we try to hand off a responsibility we need to face ourselves, and other times when we hold too tightly to work that should be shared. We need wisdom to know the difference. We need to pray and ask God for His plan. God can see the big picture that we cannot. We need to honor God by correctly identifying what we should do and what we should delegate. Scripture gives us examples of both.
Moses first tried to avoid the calling God had given him. In Exodus 4:13 he asked God to send someone else. God did not remove Moses from the assignment, but He did provide Aaron to help him speak. Moses still had to go, lead, and trust God, while Aaron became part of the way God equipped him.
Acts 6 gives another example. The apostles recognized that an important ministry need required attention, but they also needed to remain devoted to prayer and the ministry of the Word. The community selected qualified people to take responsibility for the daily distribution. Delegation was not about treating one kind of service as unimportant; it was about making sure important work was carried by the right people.
God chooses to accomplish His purposes through people. He calls, equips, teaches, and often places us alongside others whose gifts complement our own. Our responsibility is to be willing, faithful, and wise enough to know when to carry the task and when to share it.
Prayer
Our Father in Heaven, thank You for giving me a purpose. Help me to fulfill my purpose even when I feel I am unable. Help me to delegate properly so that others can fulfill their purpose from You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen
Author: Travis White |
