I once knew priest who thought he was God’s gift to the church. By that I mean that he believed he was sent to the congregation as an answer to their problems and needs. You might think that this is a good attitude to have as a parish priest. Shouldn’t all priests believe that God sent them to the congregation? Yet for this priest, this attitude was mediated through self-focused ego.  He saw himself as the lynchpin for all God’s activity. The work of God occurred through him; the congregation simply needed to follow his directions,

This attitude proved disastrous for him, and for the parish. Over time this priest grew resentful of the congregation’s lack of obedience to his ministry. On the parish side, the congregation grew bitter and stagnant. Parishioners felt stifled in their Christian walk. They grew tired of making ministry suggestions only to find themselves ignored or dismissed. As the relationship soured, ministry halted.

Does leadership mean that you have arrived at some heightened spiritual status? Does being a leader mean that ministry now rests exclusively upon your shoulders? Does the congregation owe its leader blind obedience and unquestioning loyalty?

It may seem strange to say this, but sometimes Spirit-filled leadership means not leading. There is a scene in Exodus 18, where Jethro confronts Moses’s habits in ministry. At this point Moses was alone in governing Israel’s affairs. Jethro could see that he was on the fast track to burnout and spiritual death. He encourages Moses to seek help, and in response, Moses gathers 70 elders together. The Holy Spirit falls and empowers the 70 to join Moses in ministry.

It’s easy to view this scene from the side of the leader. Moses acts as any leader should: He listens to the counsel from a respected elder, and delegates duties and tasks to other people. Well done, Moses! That’s smart leadership right there.

But what if we viewed this scene from the standpoint of the 70? These were faithful people in the community; people known to exhibit a heart for God and God’s people. One must ask: did these 70 elders long for ministry? Did they ever wake in the morning wanting to be used by the Spirit? Did they pray for a day when they might be called into God’s work?

That fact is, while Moses saw himself as the sole leader for Israel, he remained deaf to the Spirit’s voice. Moses initially responded to Jethro’s almost pridefully. “People come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make know the statues of God and laws.” Notice how Moses places himself as the object of focus.  People come to him, he says twice; He decides between people. He makes known the statues of God.” The one who was so reluctant to step into leadership now seems reluctant to share it.

But share it he must. God had already placed people in his life to share the burden of leadership and ministry. Even before Jethro voiced his concern, the Spirit was at work in the lives of those 70 elders. The longer Moses held a tight grip on his ministry, the more he limited the Spirit’s work. Believing that ministry rested exclusively on his shoulders meant that opportunities for others to step into ministry were withheld.

But God has a call on all people’s lives. As all are called into active faith, all are called into Spirit-filled ministry. Moses could only be Israel’s Spirit-filled, and Spirit inspired leader, when he gave space for others to explore the Spirit’s call for them. Moses needed to get out of the way. The book of Exodus makes clear that Moses’ ministry is enhanced, not diminished, when he dropped his guard and invited others to join him in God’s work.

We are never called to do everything ourselves. No matter what kind of Christian leader we are, we hold no monopoly on the Spirit’s work. What is more, God places people in our lives to share the burden of leadership and ministry. This is true whether we volunteer on the altar guild or don robes and stand behind an altar. Partnering with the Spirit, in Spirit’s work in this world, also means partnering with others. Sometimes, the best way to exercise our ministry is to allow someone else to exercise theirs.