Dangers of ‘See Finish’

It is only appropriate that I begin this letter with a Thank you. Last week’s newsletter broke ‘our’ readership record so far. In case you were not one of the privileged 1% of the 1% that read it, you can quickly check my previous post.

In today’s episode…

It was John Bloom that said, “(Over) Familiarity breeds contempt when pride rules the heart.” I added the word in parenthesis. Let me rephrase John’s statement: “See finish” brings disgrace when pride sets in.

There is a lot to say about over-familiarity. However, I will touch a bit on the disadvantage and how it has blinded the eyes of many from seeing the gold mine that’s right under their house. Overfamiliarity will make you dishonour people with the power to help you because you feel like you’ve known everything about them.

I know C, D and E students with straight A friends. They are too insecure to seek their friend’s help because they think the friend is too familiar to help their academic woes.

To cut a long story short, during my undergraduate studies, I believed I had an unction not to ever rewrite a course. The word I received from God at that time was “You will never rewrite a course in this school and I have made the ability transferrable.” Since the first time I received this word by faith, I saw people’s CGPA rise, carryovers sorted and issues with Non-graduating students cleared when I joined them in faith and prayer over their academics. But I knew some people familiar with me who didn’t think I was ‘close to God’ enough to agree with them in prayer or direct them to someone for academic counsel.

You can’t be too familiar with people so much that you despise the treasure in them. I bow before my friends who are wiser than me in area I need help. I can never be so over-familiar with any of them that they cannot be my teacher or counsellor on matters I need help with. As John Bloom clearly stated, it’s because you’re proud that you cannot see the treasure in your friend.

Let me tell you a short story. The first person that told me about my second degree was a young chap in my school fellowship. We were ‘casually’ praying one night in *00L, hands held together when we both began to catch a glimpse of each other’s future. He predicted correctly the country I would be studying, the means, the kind of degree and much other stuff that happened to me after school. This bro was the least anyone would expect to receive such knowledge. He wasn’t even a leader in the fellowship as of this time. I could have written him off out of overfamiliarity or the ‘judge a book by the cover’ syndrome.

You can be sitting on a diamond deposit and never see it because you are too familiar with the place. Jesus had the same problem. It was almost impossible for the Jews of his time to believe that the carpenter’s son, who received and delivered their furniture orders, was the long-awaited messiah of the nation. They were too familiar with him and it bred contempt — even among his people. This restricted him from doing much among his kinsmen. That’s how people die of thirst in the middle of an ocean, hunger in the fruit garden and cold in the jacket store.

Stop being too familiar with people so much that you despise them. Because they play with you doesn't mean they cannot lift you up or advise you on serious matters. You must respect them. If they didn't create a boundary around themselves, create one for yourself. Know when the play starts and end.

For example, you cannot get useful knowledge from your teacher-friend unless you acknowledge the teacher in him. If, when they switched to the teaching mode, you still see them as your friend, you cannot get a thing from that treasure in them.

If my childhood friend were my pastor, I’d respect and address him as I would anybody. I think this is one of the stuff student campus fellowship teaches you. You’re wining and dining with your classmate on Friday and suddenly, he becomes the fellowship president on Sunday. You must make the switch too. He’s your friend but now importantly, your pastor. And you must accord him the due respect. It could happen at your workplace too. It’s a problem for you because you are proud. John’s words at the start of this letter said it.

Enough said. It’s been a busy and more busy week for me. But train your eyes to recognise and respect greatness when you meet/see one. I am one.