Being humble enough to receive constructive criticism

Humility in Receiving Counsel

Look at verse 13, and so it was on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, what is this thing that you are doing for the people?

Why do you sit alone and all the people stand before you from morning until evening? And Moses said to his father-in-law, well, it's because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another, and I make known the statutes of God and his laws.

So Moses' father-in-law said to him, the thing that you do is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out, for this thing is too much for you. You are not able to perform it by yourself.

So you can just imagine Moses day after day, just more time he gets up in the morning to the time he goes to bed, he's hearing all the issues of the Israelites judging. Of course, they're standing in line all day waiting to hear it.

There has to be a better way. So Jethro now gives Moses counsel. And the first thing I'd point out, Moses is humble enough to receive it. Sometimes when somebody comes to us and, you know, this thing you're doing is not good.

You know, you get defensive or Moses could say, hey, I'm the man of God here. Who are you to tell me? That's not what he did. He took his advice. So we should be able to learn from this, and we should be able to receive constructive criticism.

Even if we don't actually implement the advice, we should still be able to hear it.