ACCESS EQUALS INFLUENCE

Step into the office on a Monday morning. The hum of keyboards. The ping of emails. The competition that hides behind polite smiles and quarterly reports. It all feels ordinary, neutral. Just work. But it is not. Every workplace is a kind of temple, filled with its own rituals of worship. Success gets praised in performance reviews. Status gets crowned in promotions and titles. Security hides behind salaries and retirement plans. These are the gods of our age, small, shiny, and unrelenting.

And then Jesus walks in. During His time on earth, He never avoided the centers of influence. He went straight into them, the synagogues, the temple courts, the places where culture and conviction collided. He taught there. He healed there. He confronted what was broken there. And when the temple itself was hijacked by greed, He flipped the tables without flinching (Matthew 21:12-13). Jesus did not treat influence like a danger to avoid; He treated it like an assignment from His Father.

The apostle Paul carried that same holy audacity. He reasoned in synagogues but also in the Athens marketplace, where business and ideas met (Acts 17:17). Later, he stood before governors and kings, telling the story of Jesus without apology (Acts 24-26). He was not chasing a platform or fame. He was stewarding access. His aim: to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

This is not theory. It’s your 9-to-5 workday. Your office. Your classroom. Your clinic. Your courtroom. Your company boardroom or startup desk. If God has opened a door for you into any place of cultural or professional influence, it is not by accident. You were not placed there to climb the ladder faster. You were placed there to bring His Kingdom higher.

Jesus described it like yeast in dough (Matthew 13:33); quiet, hidden, but unstoppable. Real influence does not come from volume or visibility; it comes from presence. Excellence in your craft that earns respect. Integrity that costs you but also marks you as authentic. Courage to name what is wrong and live what is right. Patience to stay faithful when change feels painfully slow.

Daniel did this in Babylon (Daniel 6). Joseph did this in Egypt (Genesis 41). Both lived inside foreign systems, yet both carried God’s wisdom to the highest levels of leadership. They did not shout their way into relevance, but they did not stay silent when truth demanded a voice. Their faith shaped empires without ever bowing to them.

The marketplace still hums with its own gods of success, comfort, and control, but the Spirit of Jesus sends you straight into that idolatrous noise as His ambassador. That is the point of your access. You carry His presence into rooms that would otherwise never hear His name. So, when you open your laptop or walk into that meeting tomorrow, remember: You are stepping onto temple ground.

Work with conviction. Lead with integrity. Refuse the idols. Let your faith stand out not because it is loud, but because it is alive. Influence is not about status; it is about stewardship. The question is not whether you have access; it is what you will do with the access you have.

Because wherever Jesus sends you, He intends to be seen.

© 2026. C.C. Simpson is dedicated to fostering a bold and triumphant Christian faith within the global marketplace.

Before becoming President of CBMC International, Chris dedicated 28 years to a distinguished career in the public

sector – as a Commanding Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, and serving in the U. S. Secret Service, responsible for

protecting seven American presidents and leading elite teams in complex, high-stakes international missions. With

his wife Ana, Chris resides in Boca Raton, Florida.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

• Where has God given you access: relationships, roles, or platforms that you have treated as ordinary instead of sacred opportunities for Kingdom influence?
• What idols tend to show up in your workweek, success, comfort, control, and reputation, and how do they quietly compete with your allegiance to Jesus?
• When pressure builds at work, do people see fear and self-protection in you, or courage and conviction that point beyond you?
• What would change in your leadership, tone, or priorities if you truly believed your office, classroom, or company floor is holy ground; God’s assignment, not just your job?

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about the principles this devotional presents, consider the following passages:

   Matthew 5:13-16; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20-21; Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Peter 3:15-16

Challenge for This Week

Take time this week to consider what your vision is for your work and where God has placed you. Regardless of the title you hold or your status within your company or organization, you have a unique sphere of influence and access to a group of people that no one else has.

It always helps to share ideas and thoughts openly with people you trust and who care about you. Discuss opportunities you have for access and influence with a good friend, mentor, accountability group, or trusted advisors, asking for their suggestions, and also their prayers.