Synergy

Lessons from Miriam on how to use your platform for social justice

Lessons from Miriam on how to use your platform for social justice

Last week, I mentioned in passing that Numbers 12 talks about Miriam and Aaron almost staging a coup against Moses because he married a black woman (Zipporah)

Click here if you missed it, sis.

What I didn't share was the aftermath

Basically God went ham on Moses' behalf by calling the 3 of them together; then:

  • Defending Moses

  • Striking Miriam with leprosy

Although Moses' prayer for her healing was eventually heeded, God still made her go through the recommended cleansing and separation process to teach Miriam a lesson. In other words-

God caused her to feel what it's like to be reviled, ostracised and hated for (leprous) skin that she had no control over and could do nothing about- just like Zipporah had been made to feel because of her blackness

Being a British citizen of Nigerian descent connects me with the African diaspora, including my African American brothers and sisters. They are me and I am them.

I talk about visibility all the time and how positive it can be but, as a black woman, I also know what it's like to be visible for all the wrong reasons- just like Zipporah, just like Ahmaud Aubrey, just like Breonna Taylor, just like George Floyd and countless others

All of whom have been tragically killed through acts of domestic terrorism (racism).

What we need is for our white counterparts- particularly those who claim to be our Christian brothers and sisters- to learn the same lesson Miriam did. To put yourself in our shoes. To empathise with us and stand with us. Since we didn't make or break the system, nothing changes until you do. Practical steps on how are given below from my friend Monique Melton (an antiracism educator, author, speaker and podcast host) pictured with me.

Lessons from the ant on how to build a collaborative team

Lessons from the ant on how to build a collaborative team

One of my favourite books of the Bible is Proverbs. When I’m feeling particularly demotivated (typically first thing in the morning), my go to scripture is Proverbs 6:10-11:

A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.

It literally snatches my edges and gathers me all the way together!

I’ve always really loved the lines before this scripture too. For example, Proverbs 6:6-8

Which reads:

Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.

Prior to my recent trip to Costa Rica, I always saw these lines a simple admonishment to:

  • Be a self-starter

  • Not procrastinate

  • Prepare

That all changed when I saw a group of ants in action and managed to capture it in the video below

Lessons from Zipporah on How to get People to Follow and Support You

Lessons from Zipporah on How to get People to Follow and Support You

One of my favourite quotes from John Maxwell is: “If you think you’re leading, but no one is following, then you are only taking a long walk”

Because, the truth is, as much as you may have a mission and vision that you feel called to establish- you can’t do it by yourself, sis!

In fact, to quote from a devotional that I once wrote on Euodia and Syntyche and make this more clear:

A God-given vision will always require the assembling of a team, as teamwork makes the dream work more effectively and efficiently than doing things alone. However they also teach us that teamwork only makes the dream work if they remain like-minded, just as Paul implored [Euodia and Syntyche] to be [in Philippians 4:2-3] . Without “complete sympathy with the object of the alliance” (in the words of Andrew Carnegie) the vision will fall apart and never come to pass.

But how can you get people to willingly follow and support your cause like that?

Well, there are 5 main steps which we see really clearly outlined in the events of Zipporah’s life (particularly as Moses’ wife)- as detailed in the video below.

Lessons from Elisheba on why knowing God is your oath will help you achieve success

Lessons from Elisheba on why knowing God is your oath will help you achieve success

Exodus 6:23 reveals that Moses’ sister-in-law’s name was Elisheba (or Elisheva) which translates as "God is my oath". As women of purpose, this is important to know for 2 main reasons- all of which I shared on my Facebook page this week via the (live) video below.

Lessons from the Israelite Women on why your network is your net worth

Lessons from the Israelite Women on why your network is your net worth

Last week, lovely, we talked about what the Israelite women in Exodus 3:22 had to teach us about claiming our dreams and how to do it.

Well, another powerful lesson that they teach us is why the old cliche “your network is your net worth” is actually true- all of which I shared on my Facebook page this week via the (live) video below.

Lessons from the Israelite Women on How to Claim your Dreams

Lessons from the Israelite Women on How to Claim your Dreams

Raise your hand if:

  • You know you're significant and that, like Esther, God made you "for such a time as this"?

  • God has already confirmed this to you by showing you what that significant thing about you is (your purpose)?

  • Your purpose involves turning the gifts, talents and passions that He gave you into profits by using them to serve others (business)?

BUT you’re also not sure how to make this manifest…

Well, the Israelite women in Exodus 3 give us 3 simple steps that will help you do exactly that- all of which I shared on my Facebook page this week via the (live) video below.

Lessons from Miriam and Pharaoh's Daughter on how to be a woman of influence

Lessons from Miriam and Pharaoh's Daughter on how to be a woman of influence

So if you follow me on Facebook and Instagram, lovely, you would have seen that I was named 1 of 101 Women of Influence! Receiving this honour also got me thinking about what it means to be a woman of influence from a Biblical perspective, especially because:

  • God promotes us so that we can ultimately promote Him

  • There are many scriptures that say that we, as the church, are supposed to influence the world in order to bring them to Christ (e.g. Ephesians 1:23, Matthew 13:33 and Mark 16:14-18)

  • Every God-sized vision is going to require a team (so you will need to know how to go about being influential so that others will help make your vision a reality)

When I started to think about the how or the blueprint to becoming a woman of influence, I found myself back in Exodus 2 because Miriam and Pharaoh’s Daughter displayed the very definition of “influence”- which is:

“The action or process of producing effects on the actions, behaviour, opinions etc of another or others”

I shared all of this and more via the (live) video below.

Lessons from Exodus 1 and 2 on How to collaborate effectively

Lessons from Exodus 1 and 2 on How to collaborate effectively

There are 5 ladies of great significance in Moses’ early life, as detailed in Exodus 1 and 2:

  1. Jochebed (his biological mother)

  2. Shiphrah (his midwife)

  3. Puah (also his midwife)

  4. Miriam (his sister)

  5. Pharaoh’s daughter (his adopted mother)

What struck me most about them is how they buck the traditional stereotype that women can’t get along! I mean, sis, they literally all came together in order to preserve their joint vision- protecting Moses and keeping him alive- despite the fact that the Pharaoh reigning at the time had commanded that all Hebrew boys be killed at birth!

Not only that, they did it successfully!

So clearly these 5 bad-ass women have a lot to teach us about the power of collaboration in bringing our God-given visions to life and how to do it- all of which I shared on my Facebook page this week via the (live) video below.