Today’s Reading, 2 Samuel 11-12 & 1 Chronicles 20
Focal Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:7 “Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from Saul.”
Confronting a leader who is in open sin is not an easy task. It will come at great personal cost and means you have to have a strong backbone. It also requires that you have a strong spiritual life and be prepared for any repercussions that might follow. Personally, I have had this happen to me on two different occasions. One time, I had to confront a leader who would constantly lie and manipulate others. Once I confronted them, they were subsequently fired by the appropriate committee. However, I could not tell people what really happened to this person. This led to people being mad at me because they thought I fired someone they cared about. Even though I removed myself from the decision-making process, I couldn’t be accused of wrongdoing.
In today’s reading, David is called out by Nathan after he has an affair and has her husband killed. In this account, David gets upset after Nathan’s parable, and he tells the story about a powerful man taking from a lowly man. When David is full of anger about the situation, Nathan tells him that he is guilty of this in real life. He specifically tells him, “You are the man.” Nathan was obedient to the Lord and called out not just a leader but a king.
So what is the application for us today? It means if a leader is violating biblical principles, they must be called out and exposed. This does not mean it has to be done publicly, but it does mean it has to be handled. I have been in this situation also, and it was not a fun conversation. I was around a leader, and they asked me why I didn’t talk to them or have conversations. My response was very straightforward; I told this individual that I didn’t trust them. This person asked me why, and I informed them that they were dishonest, manipulated people, and were a micromanager.
As you can imagine, that conversation didn’t go over very well. This person then decided to try to threaten me and said they would ruin my career if I didn’t do everything and anything they told me to do immediately. I couldn’t ask any questions, and if I did, I would be insubordinate to his authority.
I was not the only person to call this individual out for their behavior. Every time they were confronted, this person would not repent. Instead, they would blame others for their behavior. Why do I tell this story? Because it is the exact opposite of what David did when he was confronted. When he realized he was in sin, we see the results in Psalm 51.
Be willing to confront leaders, biblically. Not because it is fun, but because you are trying to restore them to the right foundation with the Lord. If a leader refuses to repent, it is a great indication that they are an unbeliever. If you have to go this route, be prepared and ready for the enemy to attack you. Be prepared to be labeled a troublemaker. However, remember that causing trouble biblically is always a good thing to do.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Psalms 32, 51, 86, 122
