Conversations Magazine, March/April 2024

Conversations Magazine, March/April 2024

Friday, May 18, 2012

An Inspirational and Spiritual Lesson from the Life of Whitney Houston


by Jerome Cooper*


Looking at the life of Whitney Houston, it appeared that she had everything going for her. She became a successful icon who changed the music industry for female vocalist. She caused female vocalist competition to be magnified that would have not otherwise been. All went well (at lease that we as an audience and fans) until she began dating and then married Bobby Brown, former lead vocalist for New Edition. Once their connection happens, you then began to see a change in Whitney’s life. You began to hear about the drugs, cocaine, and the fighting. I don’t know if Whitney was 100% innocent of any drugs, drinking, and cocaine before uniting with Bobby Brown. I don’t know and will not make an assumption.

In my book The Battle with Self: Inner Struggle, I talk about how people portray an image that isn’t exactly true because of being afraid of what they are hiding becoming exposed. We all have our demons that we are dealing with. However, it is shocking of Whitney because she was such an AGI (American Girl Icon). The battle and struggle she had is no different than some of ours. As a matter of fact, some of us have overcome those battling demons why didn’t we as fans and over comers write to encourage her? I want you to know that everyone have demons or inner struggle. Some peoples are more obvious than others.

I will say this from listening and watching the story of Whitney’s death, you need to be confident in and knowing who you are. I like Philippians 1:6. It says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”. If you are not confident in who you are, you will settle for anybody and anything that comes into your life. Some people are not to be in your life. What would her life been like if she and Bobby would have never dated nor married? Would she still be alive? You have to be mindful because you can marry someone and cause a curse to come upon you. They are the forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden. You got to be confident and strong.

As an observer, I will also say that Whitney had a battle going on the inside of her. In my book, I call it the battle within. She had two opposing forces wrestling within her just like Rebekah did in Genesis 25:23. However, the one that was catered to the most won the battle. When inner warring of desires are going on in our lives between good and evil, we need to surround ourselves with strong, positive influence. We see on the day that Whitney died, who was in her surroundings. I talk about in the last section of my book about RFD (Released, Freed, and Delivered). There are divine people that God has placed in your midst to help you overcome your obstacles, demons, struggles. They are your personal ministers. God placed them in your life to help loose you from what is holding you bound. You got to be sensitive when it comes to identifying who they are.

We all can learn from the life of Whitney Houston struggle. Her voice will be missed.

*     Jerome Cooper is the author of two books, including the newly released The Battle with Self: Inner Struggle. He currently calls Mississippi home and can be reached at cjerome31@yahoo.com. On Facebook he can be found at https://www.facebook.com/cjerome31

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