More people, regardless of their position, are feeling overloaded with work. Everything seems to rest on them. The deadlines, the decisions, the responsibility. Do you feel the same?
You show
up, you push through, you keep going, but under all of that, exhaustion begins
to settle in. It doesn’t always show on the
surface, but it’s there all the same. By the time you realize it, it’s too late. You suffer from burnout, which is a profound, chronic exhaustion of mind, body, and spirit.
This isn’t new. One of the most well-known leaders in history, Moses, found himself in that exact situation. In Exodus 18, we see how he leads the Israelites after their journey out of Egypt. His role isn’t just symbolic. He’s the person everyone goes to for guidance, judgment, and answers. Every issue, every dispute, and every question finds its way to him, and from morning until evening, he sits while the people stand in line and wait to see him. He carries it all.
When his father-in-law, Jethro, arrives, he doesn’t rush in or try to fix anything straight away. He just watches. And what he sees isn’t strong leadership, but strain. The kind that can’t last. So he asks Moses a simple question that cuts through everything: “What is this you’re doing for the people?”
What follows is a truth that still feels relevant today. “What you’re doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out.” Exodus 18:17–18 NIV.
There’s something in this lesson that lands deeply, because it challenges a belief many of us carry. If one person can hold everything together, then they should. But that’s not what Jethro sees. He sees the cost.
He doesn’t stop there. He offers a way forward. He tells Moses to focus on what really matters and to choose capable, trustworthy people to share the responsibility. The smaller matters can be handled by others, while the heavier ones can still come to him. It’s not about reducing impact, but about finding a way to carry it that can last.
“That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.” Exodus 18:22 NIV.
Moses listens, and everything begins to shift. The people are helped more efficiently, leadership becomes healthier, and Moses no longer carries a weight that was never meant for one person alone.
This story speaks directly to how we work today. We often mistake being overworked for being valuable, and we see taking on everything as a sign of strength. But Exodus 18 challenges that way of thinking. Burnout isn’t dedication. It’s a signal that something’s out of balance.
Healthy leadership and healthy work environments are built on shared responsibility. So if you find yourself overwhelmed, stretched thin, and carrying more than your share, take a moment to sit with this. It’s not good to do everything alone, and it isn’t sustainable to be everything to everyone. Sometimes the most responsible thing you can do isn’t to take on more, but to allow the load to be shared.
Moses had to learn that. And maybe, we do too.
So if this feels close to home, don’t keep carrying it on your own. Talk to someone you trust. Ask for help where you need it. And give yourself permission to make the adjustments that protect your health.
Because not everything is yours to carry. And you were never meant to carry it all.
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