The New Testament church grew so fast that the apostles became overwhelmed with the challenge of administering it. What did they do? ‘So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word”’ (vv. 2-4 NIV). And the result? ‘The word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly’ (v. 7 NIV). You can improve the quality of your life by learning to delegate. Here is how you do it: 1) Start with a task you currently perform that could be handed off to another. 2) Identify a person with the capability (not just the willingness) to do it. 3) Take time to write the steps and to go over them with the person. 4) Describe why the task is essential and its importance in the whole scheme of things. 5) If the task is time sensitive, then set definite dates. 6) State your expectations. 7) Evaluate the person’s progress on a recurring basis until you’re assured they can handle the job without your involvement. Assist them for a while and check in with them to make sure they’re doing the job right. The saying is true: you don’t get what you expect; you get what you inspect.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.