Wise Counsel 智慧的忠告

[Dexu Xia]

The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.  Exodus 18:18

While attending seminary, I was working full-time. Add to that a chaplaincy rotation and an internship at a church. I was busy. When my father visited me, he said, “You’re going to have a breakdown.” I shrugged off his warning thinking he was of another generation and didn’t understand goal-setting.

I didn’t have a breakdown. But I did experience a very rough, dry season in which I fell into depression. Since then, I’ve learned to listen to warnings—especially from loved ones—more carefully.

That reminds me of Moses’ story. He too was diligently working, serving as Israel’s judge (Exodus 18:13). Yet he chose to listen to his father-in-law’s warning (vv. 17–18). Jethro wasn’t in the thick of things, but he loved Moses and his family and could see trouble ahead. Perhaps that’s why Moses was able to listen to Jethro and heed his advice. Moses set up a system for “capable men from all the people” to take on the smaller disputes, and he took the more difficult cases (vv. 21–22). Because he listened to Jethro, rearranged his work, and entrusted others to shoulder the load, he was able to avoid burnout during that season of life.

Many of us take our work for God, our families, and others seriously—passionately even. But we still need to heed the advice of trusted loved ones and to rely on the wisdom and power of God in all we do.

Whose voice can you trust to remind you to serve wisely? What mechanisms do you have in place to avoid burnout? When did you implement them last?

Almighty God, thank You for allowing me to serve You in many ways. As I passionately care for others, teach me to also work wisely so that I’ll have energy to do what You want me to do.

 这事太重，你独自一人办理不了。—出埃及记18章18节

我在读神学院期间，还有一份全职工作，再加上轮值服事和教会实习，每天都忙得晕头转向。当父亲来探望我时，他说：“你这样不行啊！迟早会崩溃！”我对他的警告不以为然，认为他是老一辈的人，不了解何谓设定目标。

后来，我虽然没有崩溃，但确实经历了生命中一个艰难枯竭的阶段，我陷入了严重忧郁。从那之后，我学会更认真地听从别人对我的劝告，特别是那些至亲好友的提醒。

这让我想起摩西的经历，他也曾因审理以色列民的纷争而从早忙到晚（出埃及记18章13节），但他选择听从岳父叶忒罗的劝告（17-18节）。审理纷争不是叶忒罗的责任，但因他爱摩西和他的家人，并能看到问题所在，或许这就是为何摩西愿意听取叶忒罗的建议。接着，摩西采取新的措施，从百姓中“拣选了有才能的人”来处理较小的争端，他自己处理难断的案件（24-26节）。摩西因听取忠告，重新规划自己的工作，委派别人一同分担，使自己在那段忙碌的时期免于过度疲劳。

我们许多人都很认真看待自己为上帝、为家人和别人所做的一切，甚至充满热情。但我们仍需听取可靠的亲朋好友的建议，并倚靠上帝的智慧和大能去做每一件事。

谁的忠告能提醒你服事主也必须有智慧？
你能采取哪些措施以避免过度疲劳？
你何时曾采用这些方法？

全能的上帝，谢谢祢让我能用许多方式服事祢。
当我热心关怀别人时，求祢教导我以智慧行事，
好使我有精力去做祢要我做的事。