by Betty Brock

“I’d rather run out than rust out for God.”  As a college student, I heard this statement from a woman who was very busy in God’s service.  I agreed with her then; I agree with her now.  But I have learned there are ways to “run out for God” that are not according to His plan.  When we do not involve others in the day-to-day work as well as the decision making, we not only “run out” but we allow others to “rust out.”  Sadly, we often do not get serious about involving others until we are overwhelmed and have reached the limits of our capacity.

In the last issue, we discussed the need for recruiting help and delegating responsibility.  Psalm 8:3-6 is the classic example of delegation:

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.

God knew that man would not do the job of “dominion over the works of His hands” as well as He did.  He knew that man did not have all the training for such an endeavor.  I would imagine that God even enjoyed doing the work that He delegated to man.  Yet, in order for man to grow (and not rust), God gave him work to do and opportunities of
service to perform.  We ladies have that same opportunity as we delegate and train other ladies for service.

Probably the most important part of delegating is matching the right people to the right job.  Using a survey to learn your ladies’ interests, skills, and willingness to serve is often helpful.  (See page 7 for a sample survey you can copy and use.)  Asking many questions about skills and interests, observing where the ladies enjoy serving, and using short ice-breaking questions at Bible studies or Sunday school about interests and skills will assist you in learning more about your ladies. (Can you share a time when you were encouraged by someone in the church?  What is your favorite way to encourage someone else?)  Studying and discussing spiritual gifts give insight in matching ministries with
ladies.  Praying for God’s direction in making delegation decisions is probably our greatest resource and the one so often left unused.

Contrary to our usual thinking, the greatest hindrance in delegation is not the lack of people; rather, it is the lack of a plan.  And a good plan will always start with a purpose.  We must have a purpose for the projects or events, as well as a purpose for delegation, whether it is to free ourselves up for other activities, train other ladies in service, or train other ladies in leadership skills.  The purpose for the project must be communicated well and often.  Each time we delegate an assignment, we must identify the purpose and communicate the details of that assignment.  Answering the who, what, when, where, why, and how of each assignment will help so that there will not be misunderstandings or even failures.  Having a clear chain of command for each assignment gives security.  Effective delegation will always encourage questions.

Helping another lady to get involved in service for our Lord is one of the greatest services that we can do for another.  As we encourage others to serve with us, Psalm 34:3 gives us our foundational purpose:  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.