Want to know a secret? The enemy knows your weaknesses! And guess what else? He plays you with them over and over and over and over again. UNTIL…it’s not a weakness anymore. I’m telling y’all what I know. Get to know this joker!! 

We gotta stop spending so much time knowing all the highlights of the game. We know the famous plays and moves of Lebron James all the way back to Michael Jordan. I read how y’all compare Lebron to that legend. Lebron doesn’t do this or that like Jordan. We know when Floyd Mayweather is about to stick and move a certain way. We know common plays of our favorite football teams. 

Do you see where I’m going with this? Turn that ESPN or NFL off and tune into some NLT or NIV and get to know one of the star players in your life!!! Get to know the best plays of the enemy. We gotta know when he is on the field. Gotta know if he is going to run left or right. But most importantly we gotta know when he is up to bat in our lives! 

So this is what I want you to know. Recall the first FREE psychic advice I gave? If not, please go back one blog because you don’t want to miss that. When the enemy knows how to get to you, he uses that weakness around the time you are in process of making a change in your life. Not all the time but sometimes that’s how he gets us depending on the last time he threw that up into your face. You see, he knows the frequency in which to use that thing against you and when to keep it in his back pocket until that right moment presents itself. 

Reflection period. Can you be real for just a moment. I’m serious! Be honest with yourself for a moment. No one is around to “judge” you but you. I don’t see you. I promise! Think about that issue or drama that is currently going on in your life. It’s only two true places it could be: home or work. The most turmoil occurs at home! And at work! Don’t miss this! I may need to do a Part III shoot! Think about that person you are holding a grudge against. You don’t hold grudges you say? Ok think about that person you currently can’t stand and so you just so happen don’t talk to them anymore. This won’t be a long list. One of these will land me on your street. Think about that sin you can’t quite loose yourself of. No matter how you say you are going to stop, you keep getting pulled back in. Oh you wouldn’t really call that a sin. Oh ok I see you don’t want to be real and call it what it is. That ‘whatever it is’ that you do that you know is wrong but keep on doing. 

Ok so now think about your track record with that thing. For me, I used to have a really really bad temper. Just being honest. I knew it too. Knew that if I didn’t get control of that thing I’d either be in jail or would’ve met my match one day. Oh I thought I was bad. Jackson Mississippi born and raised with a “you better respect me” chip on my shoulder at all times. And that is how I conducted myself. And while I’m being real, conviction just reminded me that I’m still like this today. Anyone from work reading this probably can recall me saying “You can’t fight every perceived offense. Pick your battles! For the most part, I’ll  do whatever they ask me to do. One thing I won’t do is deal with disrespect.” Only difference from then to now is the manner in which I fight and the tone of my temperament. I can talk calmly when I tell folks that have disrespected me that I won’t stand for it…with a smile on face. Any witness would have thought I cursed but I wouldn’t have used not one curse word. 

    Ok so for me. I continued to fail miserably at keeping my temper under control. I prayed. I pleaded. Lord please help me to calm that spirit. It’s like I can’t get it under control. I don’t like showing that side of me. I’m not a mean person Lord. I just don’t like people to mistreat me (thinking) just because they think I’m just a little ghetto black girl and I’m not worth being treated as a human being with feelings. 

Some know this story. I was grown living in Huntsville, AL. Lost my temper, had an incident that could’ve went all wrong (but God) and I cried all the way from Huntsville to Birmingham (I was traveling home) because I had promised myself not to let people take me to that point ever again. I mean boo-hoo’d for over an hour because I had failed yet again. 

Do you think I was ever presented that test again? Absolutely! But see the next time, I didn’t fret. Well I did fret, I just had better control. Some know this story. Took my pumpkin Avalanche to get washed. Noticed my paint was damaged. I politely asked for the owner and explained. So what does he do? He jumps in, drives my truck to the next parking lot, walks back past me, and tells me to get off his property. Y’all…I’m telling you I had an outer body experience as I stood there and watched him walk back to his building. I stood and talked out loud to myself. Asking self did that really happen. Does this MF know who I am and how I would duck up his life! I mean I went to town to myself as I stood there. And so what did I do? 

I simple called the police. Police came and I explained the situation. Cop took the time to invest in me. He told me that from looking at my truck I looked blessed. Told me to just go to the dealership and get it fixed that it shouldn’t cost too much. Well I’m here to tell you, I left and went straight there and the cop was right. The dealership…you know they are expensive…the manager asked me if I mind leaving the vehicle for a day or two. Next he told me to drop it off in the morning, offered me a rental car, and they would take care of it. Total price: NOTHING. I was in shock. Couldn’t get back in the truck fast enough. Y’all I cried all the way home. Cried and thanked God for FINALLY passing the test! 

Do I still get those feelings of being done wrong? Absol-freaking-lutely I do! But now I know how to calm myself down quicker. And even when I plan to go off, the Holy Spirit won’t let me. You know how you reflect on an altercation after the fact wishing you’d said more. I promise there are soooo many times I’m mad at myself because I should’ve cursed them out. I went with the set mind to curse and throw my hands around and I just couldn’t. Not out of fear. That person heard from me. Trust they heard me real good but all the things I wanted to say, all those curse words, all the ways I wanted to hurt them with the things I could’ve brought up…I didn’t. He wouldn’t let it be so. 

Testimony ends here…so what have you come up with? For your situation, using my example, how often has that type of trial, unwanted characteristic, issue, etc…how often have you faced it despite your best effort? Every wonder why you keep falling back into that same ole situation even though last time you swore you wouldn’t let it get to you but it did. You may have even promised God that you wouldn’t do that again. Lord if you get me out of this…this time…I promise I won’t do it again. Only to do it again and again. 

So here is the secret. The enemy heard you confess against that thing. Each time he was right there hissing and growling. As soon as you said “I am a believer. I believe Jesus is the Son of God. I believe Jesus is my savior. I believe He died and He rose again,” the enemy met you on your doorstep when you got home that day. Staring. Eyes squinted. Fire consumed around him. He couldn’t believe you’d betrayed him. Oh he was going to handle you. 

Know his ways!!!! And the B clause of this is that you should be keen to the enemy’s ways in others around you too. Why, you ask. Well for me, I know those that hate me. I’ve been knowing them for years. I’ve gotten to know them to the point of being able to recognize the things that get to them. It’s not that I’ve done things intentionally to hurt them. We all know that people get offended without our knowledge. And yes I’ve tried to correct the involuntary offense but it’s like talking to a brick wall!!! People have to be receptive to seeing themselves and that is not the case most of the time. So they continue to hate me but I love them anyhow. The Bible charges us to love our enemies. So I just pray for them…praying that He will prick their hearts and allow for reconciliation. 

My charge to you is to know these secrets. Hold them in your heart. Does that sound familiar? I didn’t make this up. Know His Word! Keep it in your heart so when times are hard and things are going on around you, immediately begin to speak those things out loud! “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4! 

“The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27! 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-7! 

Thank you for your attenrion. Remember you are your own competition. 

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