Good Day Kingdom Friends!

In a previous post (What is a Watchman?), I mentioned a list of characteristics that a Watchman must develop and possess. We will look at one of those characteristics in today’s blog.  I believe Humility is paramount to a Watchman’s character. Let’s unpack why this is so important.

As we considered in The Tower, the way in which we prepare for service in the Lord is to run to and remain in Him. Isaiah 57:15 tells us that the Lord dwells with the humble. To ensure that we remain in the Lord’s presence and protection, Humility must be a cornerstone of our character. We must always conduct a “heart check” to keep our attitudes and motives pure and aligned with God.

Because the Watchman is set as protection and defense against attacks on the house, the enemy will continually try to discredit you with the king [Pastor]. If a wedge can be created between the Pastor and the intercessors, if suspicion and mistrust exist in either one’s heart, the enemy can then enter the house with ease. The Watchman may see the attack coming and warn the king, but if the king no longer esteems the word of the Watchman, he may ignore or undervalue the word of warning.

There may be times that the word which you bring is a hard word for the king [Pastor] to receive. In fact, most times the word of a Watchman is not that of comfort or joy; so unless the heart of the Pastor is in a condition to receive and heed the word and the relationship between the Pastor and intercessor is free of offense, suspicion, or mistrust, the word of warning may fall on stony ground and not be received. Because it is impossible to control the actions and reactions of another, it is imperative that we rule our hearts, minds, attitudes, and emotions with diligence to prevent the enemy from gaining a foothold. We must be certain that our prayers remain pure for the house, the vision, and the visionary.

There will come seasons which you may be challenged as to your motives regarding your actions. In these times, if you are able to evaluate your heart and confirm that your motives were pure and genuine, then you can humbly receive any correction, rescue any amount of truth in the accusation, and use those things to build on. The clearest example of this that always comes to mind for me is David and King Saul. Even when David had the opportunity to kill King Saul — and he knew that King Saul was seeking to slay him — David not only saved the king’s life but continued to honor Saul’s position and submit to the king.

This takes a level of maturity. Reacting with humility and submission in the face of accusations against your motives, and ultimately your character, requires you to be more interested in creating, cultivating, maintaining, and even restoring a pure, trusting, and right relationship with the king [Pastor] than defending your actions or character. There may even be times that you will act as the “punching bag” for the Pastor, where you absorb a blow of accusation, suspicion, mistrust, rebuke; and rather than returning a shot, you receive it, and humbly submit.  {Disclaimer: This context assumes the relationship is healthy, not abusive or dysfunctional.}

Proverbs 10:4 If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post; for conciliation pacifies great offense.

The way in which you respond to an accusation or rebuke will expose the condition of your heart. If you react in a defensive manner, attempting to justify your actions, pride and arrogance will be what the Pastor observes, and rebellion could become their perception of you.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

On the other hand, if you humble yourself and consider whether there is any morsel of truth in what is said, there is the potential for growth for you. When you humbly respond, and you are able to have confidence in your heart condition and intentions, where you can rest in the assurance that the Lord is pleased, at some point, the accuser must reconsider their position.

Always keep in mind that this is not a competition to who is “right” and who is “wrong.” This is about forging a relationship with the one to whom you have been appointed and assigned to stand watch over. Your feelings and personal opinions, many times, have to be sacrificed on the altar in the name of obedience and service to the greater purpose.

We must be constantly aware of the lens through which our leader perceives things. Leaders that have been in position for any length of time have been exposed to hurt, betrayal, and disappointment. The Watchman could have arrived shortly after or during a major falling away or split within the church. There will always be lasting effects left on the leaders and the members. Walls could now be erected in their minds and hearts in an attempt to protect themselves from any reoccurrence of hurt and further damage emotionally. So be aware that sometimes the reaction you experience in a situation that may seem minor to you may very well be the result of past experiences of the leader and really have very little to do with you and the current situation.

This is where we must be able to extend grace and humbly submit. Consider any grain of truth and learn the lesson. Discard the rest and resist harboring any ill will or taking on anything that was said or done that you know was not for you.

1 Peter 5:5-6 ⁵Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. ⁶Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

This is where God’s grace, love, and forgiveness must win so that the enemy is not allowed to drive a wedge between you.

Spend time in prayer and allow the Lord to search your heart. Offer up the situation to Him and allow Him to judge your motives and action, for we know that the Lord is the righteous judge (2 Timothy 4:8).  If, after time in prayer, you are assured that you have clean hands, let it go. You can be confident the accusation was really not aimed at you, extend the grace the Lord offers each of us consistently, and pray for the person’s healing and that they have their eyes opened to your heart.

This is where your character will be tested, as well as your own personal level of healing and security in your identity in Christ and confidence in your assignment and calling, that He who has called you is faithful.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

See Far & Perceive!