EMOTIONS.

2 stories in the Bible stand out for me.
Moses just died, after leading the Israelites for 40 years.
He was a great man.
He brought the Israelites out of Egypt, after unleashing plagues on the Country.
He parted the Red Sea.
He brought water from the Rock...

He saw God's back.
He spent so much time with God on the mountain, when he came back his face was shining.
He died in God's presence.
Nobody saw his corpse.
He just walked off & died.
God personally buried him.
He was a great man, whatever parameters used to measure greatness...

After his death, God spoke to Joshua:
"Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you & all these people, unto the land which I am giving them."
Joshua 1:2

In other words, "Moses is dead: WE MOVE!"

It revealed to me, a God that is lacking in EMOTIONS.

When people die, we tend to emote.
We cry.
We mourn.
We're sorrowful.
We're depressed.
We're sad...

But here, God didn't seem to understand the importance of mourning.
He didn't seem to care about EMOTIONAL REACTIONS to Moses' death.
He simply told Joshua: "Moses is dead: MOVE!"

The other story is in the Book of Ezekiel.
God told the Prophet:
"Son of man, I will take away from you the love of your life with a stroke: do not mourn or weep..."
Ezekiel 24:16

Imagine that!
"I will take away your wife: don't mourn! Don't weep!"
That's rather harsh, no...?

But Prophet Ezekiel had walked long enough with God to understand you can't be EMOTIONAL when dealing with God.
"So I spoke to the people in the morning: & in the evening, my wife died; & I did as I was commanded."
Ezekiel 24:18 KJV

His wife died: he simply moved on...

In my walk with God, I have learned to relegate EMOTIONS to the background.
IT IS NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL.
God doesn't deal with EMOTIONAL people.
I realised that the more EMOTIONAL you are, the less you can be used of God.

I've been in positions where I take a stand on issues...

And the majority take a contrary stance.
And when we get to the brass tacks, I realise their position is simply based on EMOTIONS.
Not facts.
Not logic.
Not reason.
Just good old EMOTIONS.

There's a marriage, birthday or funeral in the family.
An aso-ebi is picked...

Everybody is expected to wear it.
I ask, WHY?
Response: "to show unity in the family".
But I don't want to wear aso-ebi!
"Ah! But it won't be good for everybody to wear & you don't!"
It won't be good for who? I'm not complaining: I can actually handle dressing different!

Would you rather I don't bother coming, or I come, wearing whatever I choose?
EMOTIONS...

2000, my dad died.
I broke the news to my mother & siblings.
Everyone broke down in tears.
I didn't shed one.
At the funeral, a friend said, "Harry, everybody is crying except you...

People are saying you probably killed your dad, that's why you're so unemotional!"
My response? "Ok."
EMOTIONS...

My mother passed away in Lagos, 2017.
I was in Abuja.
Burial was fixed for Ijebu Ode, where she came from.
I decided not to attend the funeral.
The family was livid!

"How can you not come for your mother's funeral? You need to come give her your last respects!"
I honestly don't understand what "last respects" means.
I told them, "it doesn't matter: trust me, she's too dead to notice I'm absent from her funeral!"
I didn't go...

And the family was very upset!
I asked, "you guys have known me all my life. You know I'm not given to emotions, so why are you upset? What difference would my presence at the funeral make?"
EMOTIONS.

It's just unfortunate most folks haven't risen above EMOTIONS...

Today, I come on Social Media & I see so much EMOTIONS & SENTIMENTS.
I see people who have zero EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
And honestly, it's very amusing to me.

You read a post contrary to your beliefs by someone you don't know, someone who isn't aware of your existence...

You get upset!
You get angry!
Your fingers start working on your keyboard, typing a response.
You reply with curses & insults.
You tell him, he & his entire family would suffer miserable deaths.
God would punish him!
Why would God do that?
Because his opinion differs from yours?

Why are you so EMOTIONAL?
Why can't you just read & ignore?
Why does the contrary opinion trigger you?
Why is it so easy to get under your skin?
Why do you think God will deal with someone whose opinion is different from yours?
Because you say so?

EMOTIONS...

I am of the opinion too many people on this planet are unnecessary EMOTIONAL.
If there were more people like me, people who have learned to master their EMOTIONS, people who are not given to EMOTIONAL REACTIONS to issues, this world would be a much better place!

Shalom...