Whitney Houston

The tragic news of Whitney Houston’s death has saddened us all. The timing of her passing–the day before the Grammy Awards–intensified the pain for many.

My first thought was, “What a waste!” For someone with her beauty, talent and personality to live such a short and troubled life is sad indeed.

We do not yet know the cause of her death, but many suspect that the choices she made served to shorten her life. Whitney admitted that she could sometimes be her own worst enemy. How different her life might have been if she had been able to avoid the sin and temptations that came her way!

The day after Houston died I attended an open house at New Beginnings, a recovery center in Vanceburg, Kentucky for people dealing with drug addictions. Ironically, the news of Whitney’s death played constantly on the television at the center. This highlighted the importance of battling resolutely against any sin that threatens to trip us up.

The Bible encourages us to finish strong. In order to do that, we have to avoid sin at all cost. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”