We did it and it was a huge success! We planned and executed the event so well, from the littlest details to the biggest surprises. The feedback was incredibly refreshing. We put so much work into it, so hearing all of the great comments made it all worth it. Then, we realized it would have been so much better and so much easier on us if someone else had organized it.

Sure, we hit a home run. But they would have knocked it out of the park. They always do.

So we have heard the word, right? Delegate. And we know what it means—basically handing responsibility over to someone else. But do we get the point? Do we really know the objective? Well, it depends.

Sometimes more responsibility is given to us, so we need to offload other responsibilities to ensure we can handle the additions. But that becomes a cycle because we continue to take on more and more.

Other times we have filled our figurative plates to the point of overflowing, so we eventually delegate to stay afloat. But eventually we find something else to take its place because we have become obsessed with busyness.

We may also delegate because we don’t want to do the hard work. We only want to take the easy tasks, either to be stress-free or lazy.

Finally, sometimes we delegate because we are used to it. From the moment we heard that great leaders delegate, we do it to be “great leaders.”

So, yes. The general idea of delegation is to give away responsibility—entrusting it into capable hands—in order to focus more intently on our main objectives.

Let’s zero in on the word focus. Proper delegation should provide focus. We are not looking to get some things off of our plates for the fun of it. We are answering a question. What are some things we need to let go of so we can focus on something only we can do?

We are all uniquely wired. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, yet we are all distinctly unique. No one does this like you, and no one does that like they do. We have unique skills and niches for a reason. However, sometimes we end up doing everything but that thing. So the challenge is this . . . ask yourself:

What do I need to delegate, so I can focus on what only I can do?

If our plates are filled with what others can do, who is doing what we should be doing?

Take a moment to think about that. Now really take some time determining what you need to let go of. As ministry leaders, this will not be easy. We want to do as much as possible to make the biggest impacts on our communities. Our heart simply bends that way.

But let us not forget that we are one body with many members. We cannot be the leg and the arm. We are made to be one part that helps the whole body. What is your part?

As usual, I recommend we enlist the voices of wisdom here. Let’s try not to figure this out on your own. Those closest to us know pretty well what we are fantastic at, and they also know what we might should delegate.

So, let’s go for it! Delegate away! But delegate to those who are gifted in the needed areas. This will allow them to thrive and leave room for us to flourish in our wheelhouses. Imagine how much more we can do in our sweet-spots!