Unexpected Teachers: When God Wraps Wisdom in a Strange Package

There is a small church in Kansas that has gained notoriety for its provocative picketing events. The group has spent decades hurling judgment at funerals, sporting events, and street corners. Sadly, they serve as a prime example of seeing the world divided neatly between “us” and “them.” The infamy of the church was not built on engaging its community with dialogue, but on incitement. I've chosen not even to mention the name of this church.

There was a TED talk given by Megan Phelps-Roper, a former member of the church. For twenty years, she marched with her family, clutching picket signs and neon poster boards of hate. But something unexpected changed her life. She took advice from an unlikely audience: the world of Twitter - and by the way, I do not recommend social media as a primary source of wisdom.

She joined Twitter for the purpose of continuing her efforts to provoke “sinners” into repentance (although no one can be provoked into the Kingdom of God). But as she began to interact with social media, she found that strangers, who should have been her enemies, started asking her questions, pointing out contradictions, and – most disarming of all – treating her with kindness.

A Jewish blogger she once denounced brought her pastries. Some challenged her theology without attacking her personally. Those interactions planted doubts she couldn’t ignore. In 2012, Megan walked away from this unbalanced and unbiblical church group. She left behind family, her identity, and her certainty that “wrong” was “them” and “right” was “us”. The very people she had targeted brought about change by listening, questioning, and engaging—even across the deepest divides.

Unlikely Sources of Counsel

There are examples of this principle in both Scripture and the real world. In Exodus 18, Moses received counsel from an unexpected source: his father-in-law, Jethro.

At this point in the story, Israel has been dramatically delivered from the captivity of Egypt. And Moses, the prophet of God, was spending long hours each day serving as the nation’s only judge and decision-maker. Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, had come for a visit. Moses caught him up on all the news of the incredible things that God had done to free the nation of Israel. But as Jethro stood to the side and watched Moses exhaust himself under the crushing weight of leadership, he gave some advice in simple but profound words.

“The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone” (Exodus 18:17–18, NASB).

Jethro urges Moses to appoint capable men to share the burden—leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens—so that only the most difficult cases would reach him. It was practical advice for delegation that preserved Moses, strengthened the people, and made Israel’s system of justice sustainable. 

The story is well known. And as I meditated on the familiar text, I recognized three important principles about wise counsel.

Wise Counsel Can Come from an Unlikely Source

Jethro is identified not as an Israelite elder but as a priest from Midian (Exodus 18:1). Midian was known for its pagan culture and religion. Even though he was the father-in-law of Moses, he was outside the covenant community.

Ironically, the text introduces Jethro as “the priest of Midian” only three times. But twelve times he is called “Moses’ father-in-law.” The Scripture highlights the connection and relationship with Moses as his identifying factor.

From one perspective, Jethro is someone we might expect Moses to teach rather than someone Moses was taught by. But the evident love and respect that Jethro had for his son-in-law gave him the clarity to see what Moses could not.

This is a humbling reminder: sometimes the voice of wisdom we most need is not the one we expect. God may choose to speak through family members, colleagues, or even outsiders who don’t share our background. Wisdom is not confined to our own circle. Often, it’s the unexpected perspective that exposes blind spots and helps us see what we could not see on our own.

Wise Counsel Guards Us from Burnout

Jethro's words highlight the danger of trying to shoulder the impossible load of leading and judging an entire nation single-handedly. His intentions were noble, but his method was unsustainable.

The danger of trying to carry too much by yourself is burnout. And burnout isn't limited to pastors and leaders – it affects parents who are stretched too thin with responsibilities, spouses who are carrying emotional weight in silence, and ordinary people simply overwhelmed by the grind of everyday life.

Wise counsel serves as a safeguard against collapse. A trusted voice can remind us that the problem is not always the business of life, but our busyness; not always our intentions, but our limitations. Like Jethro, wisdom can point out that the solution is not necessarily to try harder, but to share the load. Even in the work of the kingdom, God calls us back from the brink of exhaustion and reminds us that we are not designed to be doing this alone.

Wise Counsel Multiplies Impact

Jethro’s advice didn’t just protect Moses from exhaustion—it blessed the people. By appointing leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, Moses established a system that allowed disputes to be handled quickly and fairly. The people no longer had to wait in endless lines, and justice was delivered with greater efficiency (Exodus 18:21–23).

But Jethro’s counsel also gave Moses something even greater: the ability to multiply his impact. By involving other people, Moses extended his influence far beyond what he could have managed on his own. Empowering others is more than a management tip—it is a spiritual principle woven into the fabric of Scripture. God designed His people to share the load. Multiplying impact requires letting others in.

Moses learned that being called not only indicated that God personally equipped him, but that God called him to equip others. And that lesson still speaks today: impact multiplies when the burden is shared.

Wise counsel often arrives from places we least expect, but when we receive it, it protects us from exhaustion, blesses others, and multiplies our impact. Like Moses, we must be willing to listen with humility—because God may use an unlikely voice to speak wisdom that changes everything.