You know that person who really has no business giving you advice... but its good advice?

I remember when a pastor/mentor would say that you find out what’s inside of you when you are thrown against the wall.  This week’s podcast has a bit of transparency about how I handled the chaos of -7 degree weather, 20 inches of snow and being without power on the mountain…. Come on in!

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SHOW NOTES

Snow, Pipes, and what I learned about myself…

I remember when a pastor/mentor would say that you find out what’s inside of you when you are thrown against the wall. This week’s podcast has a bit of transparency about how I handled the chaos of -7 degree weather, 20 inches of snow, and being without power on the mountain…. Come on in!

B

 So this is one of those podcasts where you get to see how unpolished and still growing I am. Transparency alert…

I was reading in Exodus with our family reading through the bible in a year… 

So, as a leader who loves to teach leadership, I have forever been drawn to the passage in Exodus 18

5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro have come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law

They meet, Moses tells his father in law all that had happened, pharaoh, Israel fleeing, the wilderness, the fire - everything…

9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness

Then Jethro sacrifices to the Lord

Now we go to verse 

13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

I love this passage next because it stood out to me in a BIG way!

Set the stage here

Moses has been gone for years…

Jethro is an idolatry worshipper…

But there is a conversion that takes place... and then… 

The NEXT DAY

 Moses Father in law - who hasn’t led the nati0on of Israel out of Egypt, hasn’t suffered through plagues and persecution, hasn’t been chased by the armies of Pharaoh, hasn’t had to leave in the night,…. 

He comes and watches Moses and says…

14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

Moses explains… but no one else can do it

I have to hear from God for leading them...

15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

Jethro says, umm - nope

17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.

18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

And he goes into a long discussion on HOW to do it

Like this is a true business consultation happening right in front of our eyes

Skip down to 22 and we hear one of the biggest reasons why…

22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all these people shall also go to their place in peace.

And then the kicker… 

24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

I've always taught this as in Moses delegating to people. , not holding onto everything and being the only one who can do it, because no one else can do it as I can…

And that is a great thing to learn...

But this time when I read it I had to ask myself… 

Can I get counsel from those around me that maybe aren’t my trusted source?

 Am I humble enough to be willing to learn from those around me, my family, my friends?

 And before you go into the defense posture that we should have wise counsel, and to not be unequally yoked, and that those who are not Christians are not able to speak into your life…. 

- I completely agree (and I started that argument myself)…

But what I read when I see those passages 

There are a few important things

Proverbs 11: 14

Where there is no guidance the people fall,

But in an abundance of counselors, there is victory.

Proverbs 12:15

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

Proverbs 20:18

Verse Concepts

Prepare plans by consultation,

And make war by wise guidance.

So, what do we do then?

 How can we just be subject to anyone giving us advice?

 How do we stay humble…

So in our struggles of the ice storm and 20” inches of snow on the mountain, all the pipes freezing and fixing pipes… 

After all of that…

I am finding that I have some work to do on me

On Sunday we are heading gout to go to church and the bus can’t make it up to our hill with all the snow and ice. The kids are wanting to go to church - they can’t stand the idea of missing (plus there was. Friend of the family who had a birthday party afterward)… 

And so all this pressure of getting to church and trying to be on time, and getting unstuck from the snow… the bus is sliding to the left (we live on a mountain, getting off the road is not a good idea)…

And the second time we were stuck, we are shoveling and my second oldest says to me, dad, get the 4x4 ford and push the bus instead of us trying to do this. I ignored her and accused her of being more worr3ed ab9out getting to a party than working together…

 Wow - my flesh was struggling

See, I was carrying all the hard work in gifts that the kids created, all the excitement to be with friends at church and to be honest, to leave our property for the first time in 9 days…

 What I was carrying was the guilt and the weight of potentially disappointing them.. that if we can’t then we can’t and they will be upset and sad…

 What silliness in me to think that would have to revolve around me…

But what is more silly is that in my fear of that, I was treating some of them like they were not part of the solution. 

 Not one of them had a bad attitude, they would cheer the moment the bus started moving… uggg

So, at one point (4th time we were stuck) and I said, I am going to get the 4x4 ford and push the bus… on my walk back to the camp - I was praying and assign God

Why am I acting like this

Simple…

No humility because of my fear of rejection

What??? 

 I thought I had won that battle before

I thought I was over that

I mean 0 it is my kids and they think the world of me

Why is my worth wrapped up in not disappointing them or anyone for that matter…

I prayed in the spirit once that revelation hit me and by the time I got back with the 4x4 my spirit was uplift3ed, I apologized and I was back to being that fun-loving, fun, joyous dad that I want to be. 

 I told Nili to press the gas on the bus just enough to have pressure on the tires and I got the 4x4 truck right against the back bumper and it was like butter- so easy to move the bus

So what do we learn from this story and this passage in the word of God?

Humility will save us time and energy

When we take the time to listen to those who are wanting to give our wise counsel., not only will we get things done quicker, better, but we get to be the better versions of ourselves. I love what it says in verse 22 of Jethro talking to Moses - so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

What - allowing people to come into our lives to HELP ups through words, through ideas through actions - - - - drop the pride and let us walk in humility 

so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

Number 2: Wise counsel is less about the person and more about the counsel. When I've read those passat3es in the past I always turned counsel to counselors, And whenever the scripture says counselors only twice does it say wise counsel as a person, all the other times it is giving preference to the counsel as wise, not the person giving it. 

 Now I am not saying that you need to surround yourself with ungodly people - absolutely not saying that. But I am saying that if God can use a donkey to speak then maybe he can use someone that you don’t like the way they live, or maybe how they said it…. Our job is to judge the counsel given, as much as we want to judge the person giving it.

Number 3: Do what good counsel is… what do I mean. Do it… listen and try out. When the spirit tells you, hey, you need to listen to this… then listen to it! And do it

Oh man - we could have cut our stuck time by 75% if I would have listened to the wise counsel of my daughter. If would have judg3ed it in the spirit instead of my flesh 0- then we wouldn’t have had 3 more times of getting stuck, we would have had more peace and I could have learned something

 Isn’t leadership about continually growing, 

Moses after all the growth as a leader, leading a nation of 2 million people - that’s a big deal - bigger than anyone else that I know in leadership…

But even after all of that, to have the humility to listen to his father-in-law and to apply it to how he was leading… that is true leadership - to be humble enough to want to learn, even if it comes from a donkey…

Because that what leadership is about

It is about being one step ahead