Scripture: Ezekiel 33:7-9 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.”
The Leadership Challenge
Someone in your sphere of influence is heading toward disaster, and you can see it coming. Maybe it’s a fellow leader’s ethical shortcuts, a team member’s destructive personal habits, or a congregant’s dangerous spiritual pride.
You know you should say something, but the conversation will be uncomfortable. What if they get defensive? What if it damages your relationship? What if they accuse you of being judgmental?
The Watchman’s Calling
God called Ezekiel to be a “watchman”—someone responsible for warning others of spiritual danger. The key insight: Your job is faithfulness, not results.
What the watchman role requires:
- Courage to speak when speaking is costly
- Love that risks temporary discomfort for eternal good
- Wisdom to know when and how to confront
- Humility to examine your own life first
- Trust in God’s sovereignty over outcomes
The balance: You’re responsible for the warning, not the response.
Leadership Application
Leading God’s people requires speaking truth that others might not want to hear. This includes calling out sin, challenging complacency, and warning of spiritual dangers.
How to exercise watchman leadership:
- Examine your motives—are you speaking from love or frustration?
- Check your own life first—remove the log from your eye
- Choose the right time and place—private before public when possible
- Focus on behavior and consequences, not character assassination
- Offer support and accountability for change, not just criticism
- Accept that some will reject the message and blame the messenger
The Cost of Faithful Leadership
Ezekiel’s ministry wasn’t popular. Most leaders who speak prophetic truth experience:
- Misunderstanding from those who prefer comfortable lies
- Resistance from people invested in the status quo
- Loneliness that comes with taking unpopular stands
- Spiritual attack from forces that hate kingdom advancement
But silence in the face of spiritual danger makes leaders complicit in the destruction that follows.
Leadership Reflection
- Who in your sphere of influence needs a warning they’re not receiving?
- How do you balance truth-telling with relationship preservation?
- Where has people-pleasing compromised your prophetic responsibility?
Action for Leaders
Identify one person who needs to hear difficult truth from you. Pray for wisdom and courage, then schedule a conversation within the next week.
