Numbers 20:11
“And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”
Dealing with raw emotions is never an easy task. There are times when I’m extremely tired on a travel day and I have to watch what I say and do because my emotions are raw from being physically weary. If I’m not careful on those days, I can be short with the airline representative, TSA agent, flight attendant and even my family. I know that I’m tired, and I know that my emotions are raw, so I have to watch myself a little closer on those days so that I don’t lose my testimony or make a foolish mistake.
Moses found himself in one of those moments when his emotions were raw. We have heard the story countless numbers of times about Moses smiting the rock when he was supposed to speak to it. Verse 1 is often missed in this dialogue. It says, “Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.” Miriam was Moses’ sister, and this whole story happened right after she passed away. He was grieving the loss of his sister when these people came and complained about the water. Though we could justify his actions because of raw emotions, what he did was still wrong. Raw emotions definitely can affect your actions, but there are steps you can take to keep them from causing you to react.
First, recognize those times when your emotions are raw. There are times when you know that your emotions are a bit raw, it is in those times when you are going to have to be extra careful about everything you do. Recognizing those times when your emotions are raw will help you to take the next step.
Second, ask God to help you to stay under control. God knows when you are emotionally raw, and He can help you to keep your testimony during those times. With God’s help, your emotionally raw times can be growing times to strengthen your patience for future tasks. God is the only One Who can make this happen.
Third, slow down with your reactions. You know you are going to be short on those days when your emotions are raw, so slow down before you let your emotions take over. You are literally going to have to take a deep breath and remind yourself to answer or respond properly. Simply slowing down will have a calming effect on your emotions. Don’t let your raw emotions cause you to be short with people and hurt your relationships.
Finally, let me encourage you to recognize when others are having a bad day. The Israelites were very unthoughtful about Moses’ time of grief, and they added to the pressure with their complaining. Remember that everyone is having a tough time, so be patient with people because you don’t know what they are going through. If you will give others the benefit of the doubt that they could just be having a rough day, then you will find that more than likely they will reciprocate during the days when your emotions are raw.