Insights on Exodus 18
Going through today’s chapter, my mind went back to a teaching I listened to a while back on: “Why Christians Fail”.
One of the areas outlined is in failure to recognize and utilize our opportunities. This also sits well with one of the bible studies we had in the past, on ‘Opportunity-A matter of Time and Chance’.
Indeed opportunities do not automatically translate to success, they must be recognized and utilized for them to bring success.
This principle is expounded well with the parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14-29). There are various ways opportunities come in life. But the one that relates closely to our reading today is through Relationships.
Earlier, sis Jumoke Obe shared insights on the value of managing people in our lives in whatever capacity they come. This is spot on and was the case with Moses and Jethro, his father-in-law.
Some of us overlook relationships as a type of opportunity and thereby fail to leverage on them in our journey to success.
Two of the keys to building good relationships are Kindness and Honour. Moses exemplified both with respect to his relationship with Jethro.
Having spent forty years of his life as a Midianite shepherd, whatever pride he had as an Egyptian prince who was used to being served was long gone as he humbly lived with Jethro in the wilderness, even gaining a wife in the process.
And so it was not out of place for Jethro, many years after, when he saw how Moses was going to wear himself out with the manner in which he was carrying out his assignment, intervened with a perfect counsel that offered a solution to ease the burden of leadership on Moses.
Jethro’s counsel also presented an opportunity for others to grow, as they were appointed rulers of thousands, hundreds, Fifties and Tens, the people of Israel being the greatest beneficiary as issues concerning them were resolved quickly.
Surely, working hard is good, but working smart is better and more effective. It is possible to have the favour of God and still struggle if we lack the requisite know-how(wisdom)
Relationships will help us travel faster on the journey of success, build for us social capital and of course add value to people.
In this year of Open Doors, may we fare better in managing our relationships. Mind you this is not just to the relationships in the household of faith, but with those outside too.
Through Moses, Jethro, the priest of Midian, had an opportunity to hear about the God of Israel, recognize Him as greater than any other god and worship as he brought a burnt offering and offered sacrifices to God (Exodus 18:11-12).
Examples abound in the bible of how deploying the keys to good relationships led to open doors- The relationship between Naaman’s household and the young captive girl from Israel led to Naaman’s healing from his leprosy(2Kgs 5), David was assured of total recovery after the Amalekites attacked Ziglag in 1Sam 30, but his treatment of the Egyptian slave who they found in a field and has been given up for dead by his former master, was their open door to the recovery promised by God.
May we receive wisdom to manage our relationships successfully in whatever capacity they may come as we treat one another with Kindness and Honour, in Jesus name. Amen