When Does it Get Easier?

I'm days away from turning 60. I've been serving in church leadership of some kind since I was about 15 as a volunteer, part-time, or full-time.

That's 45 years in church leadership of some kind.

That seems impossible to me, because I feel like closer to 40 than 60, but the numbers don't lie.

So every so often I catch myself asking, "When is this gonna get easier?"

I talk with friends who are in some kind of ministry leadership pretty regularly, and almost none of them reach out to talk about how easy everything is. They are pretty quick, however, to get to the current source of frustration in their role.

I have a handful of folks I consider to be mentors. They have actually been at this 10 years longer than I have, or more. Because I'm old enough, I guess, sometimes they express the same lament that my young friends do.

Leadership is hard. So when does it get easier?

I often think of Moses as one of the greatest leaders in all of the Bible. And his story tells me this, whether I want to hear or not: it doesn't get easier, but it does get better. Consider the disposition of Moses, just for a moment. He's about 80 years old. Yes, 80. And the people of God have flat-out done wrong. (Ex 32:11-14) God is ready to wipe out the whole lot of them. And here's where it gets better—and where I want to be more like Moses...

God has done nothing wrong; He's God.

The people have done everything wrong, including making an idol out of the same jewelry they used to put on to look nice when they went to worship Yahweh.

And Moses doesn't shake his fist at the people on behalf of God. That's what I'd want to do, and that's what my friends who call me want to do.

Moses asks God to change His mind, to choose mercy.

Moses advocates for the people. He prays for the folks who deserve less.

I can't imagine how hard that was.

But I sure can see how good it is.

And many, many things actualy do get easier. But nothing helps more than praying like Moses.

Father, make me more like Moses... who was so much like Jesus. Amen.