In Exodus 18:15, Jethro's question must have caught Moses a little off guard.

"What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"

Can you imagine Jethro, Moses' father-in-law observing Moses from a distance. Moses is serving as judge and meeting people from morning till evening, trying to resolve their problems. Jethro is probably concerned about Moses' health and worried about his daughter's marriage.

Moses, it seems, had done a thorough problem analysis for his work situation. The people needed spiritual leadership. Since he was their leader, he was the logical choice to resolve their problems. Was this task too much for one person? Was this the best solution or was he just relying on his own logical reasoning? Would he be receptive to doing things differently?

In the workplace, we have all been taught to tackle problems just as Moses did: assess the situation, develop feasible options, then choose and implement the best solution. Perhaps, ninety percent of the time God will use this process to help us resolve our problems. But as Christians, we need to ask ourselves whether God wants us to do things differently? How can we do it His Way and implement His plans?

When Jesus asked his disciples to deal with the problem of feeding the five thousand people in Matt 14:13-21, He was not asking them to do a problem analysis of the situation and find a solution. Jesus wanted to do something totally different and the result was an incredible miracle.

Does God want us to be open and receptive to Him when we face problems and challenges in life? To seek His supernatural influence first? Having a good problem solving technique is important but should not supersede the Holy spirit's influence in our lives. Let's allow God to guide us as we seek God's ways in all the challenges that come our way.