Abusing Access I was working in a church office as a PA to a Pastor a few years ago While I was still there, things began to change for me so drastically that even I couldn't believe it After a while, I had to leave because I had grown seriously bigger than the position I was holding I also left because the Lord said it was time for me to leave. After leaving, I realised my heart remained with all my fellow staff members at the church office I know their stories, their children, their wives and husbands, their plight, and their struggles It felt a bit unfair that we were once in the same boat, and somehow God singled me out to do so much better than they were doing Whenever I had some downtime, I would go to the office, buy lunch for everybody, and spend some time catching up with the staff members I left behind As time went on, I asked for the account numbers of all the staff members, and I began to give all of them a monthly stipend and also something extra during the Easter and Christmas period Nobody asked me to do it It just felt right, and I had too much money at the time without any concrete plans as to what to do with the inflow. I was never greedy for gains, and I like to live a simple and godly life. It is the only way I could enjoy my life. After a year of doing this, international doors opened for me, and I began to tour the world twice a year. Whenever I travelled, I would remember all the staff members of my former office and buy them gifts. Some with needs like rent, some money to help them purchase a car, support towards a wedding, naming of their babies, baby delivery, health, and other emergencies received such freely from me at the time. As I said, I felt it was the least I could do to support them because my life changed so much, and it continued to get better and better daily. On my return from one of my international tours in 2023, I had a ministeration somewhere in Lagos. I dressed up for the ministration and told my driver to take me to my former office so that I could drop the gifts and souvenirs I bought for my ex-colleagues and also spend some time with them. When I got there, something remarkable happened. One of the staff members, the one I considered to be most mature and whom I took as a big brother, asked me to give him my belt. He wore one, but it was torn and tattered. I told him I was going for a ministration and would be in meetings after that throughout the day. He said he does not care. I should take off the belt and hand it over to him immediately, or he would command the security guards to block the door and delay me from leaving for my meeting. I laughed and told him I would send him the money to buy another belt or give him the cash right there, but that I couldn't give him the belt I was wearing that morning. He smiled and told the security guards to block the door. He said he may not have the power to take the belt from me, but he has the power to keep me in their office for as long as possible. I am a minister of the gospel, and there is a way I must carry myself in public I was determined not to lose my cool or get angry, especially over this brother's behaviour, which was masked by joviality and fake laughter. I realised at that moment that he was telling me that I reminded them too much of where they were as my former colleagues whenever I came to visit, and he no longer appreciated my visits. So I took off the belt and gave it to him. He collected my belt, too. Once that was done, he picked up the intercom and told the security guys to allow me to exit the building whenever I wanted. I smiled and took my leave As I was descending the steps, another staff member, a female with whom I was a PA for five years, walked up to me and said, "He did that deliberately because during an argument with another staff member in the office one day, he boasted that 'Gbenga is my boy. As big as he is now, if he comes into this office, I will collect the belt he is wearing, and he must give it to me because I am his spiritual senior." She asked me not to be angry. I thanked her and took my leave. My driver took me to ICM, and I got another belt at the Tommy Store Outlet. When I got home that day, I told my accountant not to give anyone from that office a penny again. I stopped picking up the calls of any of the staff members, and I stopped going there for any form of visitation. Weeks went by, and they realised the payments had stopped, and I was no longer picking up calls. Messages trooped in from every one of them, praying for me and encouraging me not to stop the support I was giving them. I ignored them all. There is a statement in the Bible that stuck with me. It was that statement that I heard as I woke up earlier this morning. It is in 1 Kings 20:11. "A man who puts on (his armour to go to battle) should not boast like the man who takes it off (after the battle has been won" Amplified Version. David boasted before fighting Goliath. Goliath boasted before fighting David. Only one of them lived when they fought. The one who lived was the one who took off the sword of the one who died. We should learn not to boast except in the power and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. PS: Know when you are wanted somewhere and know when you are not wanted. If you are given access to certain people which is of benefit to you, try not to abuse the access There is great dignity in keeping a respectable distance from people. Familiarity breeds contempt. -GSW-