Hello everyone,

How has your week been? I hope you are having the most wonderful time in this new month because I sure am. Get ready, this is my longest post so far. We learn every day and get to experience things that we might assume we are experts at and then our knowledge is put to test. This is often referred to as a learning experience. We all have those moments time and again. What you need to know about this is that you should learn from them and do away with the negative things and embrace the positive ones. The negative thing I’m sure to do away with from my experience is learning how to control what I say because other people’s feelings are involved or because even the most innocent thoughts might not be quite innocent when taken the wrong way. However, I will hold on to the positive aspect which is to always be joyful no matter how unpleasant some situations might present themselves and to remember that I cannot do without God because He is not an option but my #1 person. Trust me, there is nothing that beats having peace in your heart. If doing this means that I have to do without some things that I have gotten used to or a routine that works for me, then that’s perfect because it means I am learning to pursue the important things in my life.

The story of Moses is one everyone or almost everyone is familiar with. During my “learning experience,” I heard a couple of things that are just sort of beginning to make more sense to me as I study the Word. I’ve heard things like “You are responsible for the outcome of your life” and “I am a carrier of the DNA of the Most High God.” You see, we need to learn to stop shifting blames for the outcomes that we have control over. Start taking responsibility for actions that affect any aspect of your life. Okay, now I have drifted from the plan of this post. Back to Moses, I have learned four meaningful life lessons from him that I might not have been sensitive to prior to this moment. You see, Moses led a wonderful life here on earth to the extent that he was referred to as the meekest man on earth Numbers 12:3. But he lost pretty much all he worked hard for because of his anger. Here are the four things I learned from him:

1. Listen to Instructions. 
   

    If there is something that I have gotten to know about God since I have been (slowly but surely) studying the old testament, it is knowing that God is very big on obedience. He takes His time to give out those instructions. I would like to think that everyone wants appreciation after loads of efforts have been put into a project. That’s what obedience is to God- appreciation for His efforts. It’s very simple- Just obey the instructions. Everyone knows that God never gives us instructions that He knows we cannot handle. Moses missed one very important instruction==> He struck the rock twice rather than speak to it as commanded by God Numbers 20:8-11. I think I would have preferred if he just shouted at the rock because when I picture him striking the rod, it seems like he just poured out all of his anger on the innocent rock. Transferred aggression is the worst mehn. Just remember, Obedience is better than sacrifice.

2. Guard your anger.
   

   There are many versions of people out there in the world that will come across your path. Try something for me right now- think of the most annoying person you know, I mean that person that apparently knows how to push ALL your buttons. My body just reacted some kinda way just thinking about the person. Now I want you to get this, YOU WILL COME ACROSS MORE ANNOYING PEOPLE THAN THAT PERSON. That’s a reality you have to understand. What you do with that feeling of anger whenever people do or say things to annoy you will determine your level of growth and prepare you for the next annoying person (lmao). Moses’ anger caused a ripple effect- one which he couldn’t control. I’m not saying you should never get angry- that annoying person might be just one awesome person that just does your biggest pet peeve and annoys you over and over. However, be careful what you do or say at moments like that because it could aggravate things. Trust me, being known as someone who gets angry easily is not something you want to be attached to a description of you. Imagine someone saying==> As beautiful as that lady is, every little thing annoys her.

3. Be careful what you allow other people make you do.
   

   This is the most important lesson for me. It is true that the Israelites were a bunch of ungrateful people, but no one points fingers at them for what deprived Moses of the promise land. We are often introduced to the brief biography of Moses- we know him as the person who brought the Israelites out of Egypt, mostly because of the ten plagues. And then we are told that he never did see the promised land because of his anger. As much as we shouldn’t seek the approval of others, our reputations should always precede us. We need to try to reduce the “buts” in our descriptions. We shouldn’t have to hear things like==> That lady is a good prayer warrior but she is so rude. People tend to remember the buts rather than the things that come before it. If you look at Moses’ track record with the Israelites, he was so patient. In short, he talked God out of His own anger. He refused the offer of being the father to the next generation of people because he understands the importance of integrity. This is where the words I had heard makes more sense to me: You are responsible for the outcome of your life. If we were to ask him, I think he would say the Israelites made him do what he did. Moses definitely was responsible for his actions; he chose to act on his anger.

4. There are always consequences (only one person will pay for it: You).
   

   When we make mistakes, we are the ones who will suffer the consequences when they turn out badly. When Moses decided to act up, he suffered his consequences. The annoying thing is that the Israelites continued to do the same thing that got Moses upset in the first place. So we always have to ask the question when we want to react to things, Is it really worth it? Let the Holy Spirit, as well as everything that stands for morality in your life help you answer that question.