I recently read an account in the scriptures which got me thinking about wise counsel as a gift, something given to us by someone who cares enough to speak and something we are free to receive or reject.

After God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, Moses found himself carrying the entire nation on his shoulders. Every dispute, every disagreement, every question about the law came to him alone. In Exodus 18, we read that his father-in-law, Jethro, came to visit him in the wilderness and watched him at work for a day. From morning until evening, Moses sat as judge while the people stood around him waiting their turn.

Jethro did not hold back what he saw. He said to Moses, "What you are doing is not good. You and the people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to do it alone." (Exodus 18:17-18)

This was not an easy word to receive. Moses had been leading these people through plagues, through the Red Sea, through the wilderness. He had every reason to feel he alone understood the burden well enough to carry it. Yet Jethro, an outsider to the covenant but a man of experience and discernment, gave Moses something far more valuable than sympathy. He gave him a gift: a practical solution born out of genuine concern for Moses' wellbeing. Appoint capable, trustworthy men to serve as leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Let them judge the smaller matters and bring only the difficult cases to Moses. "That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you." (Exodus 18:22)

Like any gift, this counsel could only benefit Moses if he chose to receive it. Jethro could offer it, but he could not force Moses to accept it.

What stands out to me is how Moses responded. He did not defend himself or explain why his method had been necessary. He did not dismiss the advice because it came from someone outside the twelve tribes. Scripture simply records, "Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said." (Exodus 18:24)

The result of that humility was immediate and lasting. Disputes that would have taken days to reach Moses were now settled at the local level within hours. The people no longer stood around waiting; they went away satisfied, their cases heard promptly by leaders close to them. Moses himself was freed to focus on hearing from God and giving direction to the whole nation, rather than being consumed by the details of every quarrel. 

What began as one man's unsustainable burden became an organised system of justice that served over a million people efficiently, all because a leader was willing to hear correction and act on it.

Growing up as a Christian, I have come to appreciate that gifts of counsel do not always arrive wrapped the way we would like. Sometimes the most valuable counsel we receive points out something uncomfortable about how we are operating, and it takes humility to unwrap it rather than to leave it unopened because it wasn't what we expected to hear. 

Moses could easily have reasoned that no one understood the burden of leadership as he did, or that Jethro was not one of God's chosen people and so had no standing to advise him. Instead, he received the gift for what it was, weighed it honestly, and found it good.

This is true in our everyday walk as Christians too. God places people in our lives, a spouse, a parent, a mentor, a fellow believer, who often see what we cannot see about ourselves. Their observations about our habits, our relationships, or our attitude are frequently a gift, even when they are hard to hear. The question is rarely whether the counsel was good; it is whether we were humble enough to receive it. 

The greatest gift of counsel we have been given however, is the Holy Spirit Himself, our Counsellor and Advocate. He not only teaches us everything, He also reminds us of everything we have read in the scriptures. (John 14:26)

Are you carrying a load that has become too heavy, whether at work, at home, or in ministry? Has someone in your life offered you a gift of counsel that you have left unopened because receiving it meant admitting you needed to change? Consider Moses. His willingness to delegate, to trust others with responsibility, and to receive advice with humility rather than pride, is what allowed a nation to be governed well and a leader to endure the journey ahead. 

Receive the gifts of counsel that come your way, weigh them honestly, and let the Holy Spirit confirm what is good. This is one sure way of making sure that you get it right.