The Devil has got nothing on You

The Devil has got nothing on You

In a small village in Nigeria, there was a young man named Chijioke.

Chijioke was a lively and talkative boy, always making people laugh.

But Chijioke had one problem, he never liked to take responsibility for his mistakes.

Whenever something went wrong, he would blame the devil.

One year, the government announced a big exam that could give scholarships to students.

Chijioke’s parents told him, "Chijioke, this is your chance.

Study hard so you can pass and make us proud."

His teachers warned him too, "This exam is not a joke. Prepare well."

But Chijioke didn’t listen.

Instead of studying, he spent his days playing football in the streets and hanging out at the village square with his friends.

His books gathered dust while he laughed and joked, telling himself, "I’ll read tomorrow."

The day of the exam came, and Chijioke struggled.

He hadn’t prepared, so most of the questions felt like riddles in a foreign language.

When the results were out, Chijioke had failed badly.

Instead of admitting his fault, he told everyone, "It’s not my fault o! The devil is after me. He distracted me and made me fail."

An elder in the village, Mama Nkechi, heard this and called him over. "Chijioke, sit down," she said. "Let me tell you something.

Was it the devil who told you to leave your books and go play football?

Was it the devil who made you ignore your parents and teachers?

No, my son, it was you.

You made those choices yourself.

Blaming the devil will not help you, it will only make things worse."

She continued, "In this life, you will reap what you sow.

If you work hard and make wise decisions, you will see good results.

But if you are lazy and careless, bad things will follow.

The Kingdom does not reward excuses, Chijioke.

It rewards those who take responsibility and do the right thing."

Chijioke felt ashamed but knew Mama Nkechi was right.

He decided to change his ways.

The next year, he stayed away from distractions and focused on his studies.

When the exams came again, he passed with flying colors.

From that day, Chijioke learned to stop blaming others, even the devil, for his mistakes.

Instead, he worked hard and took charge of his life.

The villagers would often tell his story, saying, "The devil has nothing on you.

Your life is in your hands.

It’s your decisions that shape your future.

Peace.