Accountability: Part One
January 5th, 2009 by Brett Wagner
Accountability: Part One
Accountability Begins with God
Hebrews 3:12-13 ESV
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Why Does Accountability Matter?
Accountability has been the buzz word amongst Christians for some time now. Many people seek out accountability groups to aid them in their Christianity. Search Amazon.com and you can find truckloads of books that tell you how to, what to and when to be accountable. While most people will agree accountability is a good thing, we need to step back and ask the motive question: why should I be accountable?
Start Wrong End Wrong
Many accountability groups fail simply because they begin wrong. The focus is upon the book, the group, how often to meet, or where to meet. Often times, it is not the method that leads to failure but the mindset. And the mindset we must begin with is that we are ultimately accountable to God. We are a redeemed object of God’s creation. We will one day stand before his throne and give an account as a steward of our time, gifting, influence and possessions. The effectiveness of our attempts at accountability begin with this understanding.
Judas or Joseph?
Let me give you a couple of examples of how this works. Judas – if there was ever a guy who had the best accountability group, he would have to be at the top of the list. Yet, as we know, his life was a total waste and ended in miserable failure. How about another name: Joseph. If there was ever a guy who had a reason to walk away from God, it would be him. Betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers, ends up in a foreign country and working for a guy who’s wife continually seduces him to get naked. Yet, Joseph resists temptation and makes an amazing statement in response to this woman’s request: “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Joseph understood something, his life was ultimately accountable to God.
Outward Systems Alone Don’t Survive
Perhaps this foundational understanding gives us some insight into why so many Christians walk away from God during their college years? What will happen when you move out and mom or dad aren’t there to check in on you? What will happen when your friends are no longer there to keep you on track? What will happen when your small group leader or youth pastor aren’t seeing you each week?
Bottom Line: Accountability Begins with God
Bottom line: if we are only accountable to these outward systems, our accountability will fail. If this whole idea of accountability is going to work, we must begin with seeing ourselves as first and foremost accountable to God.
Next week…part 2: Accountability Involves Others
Awesome B. I hope our HSers read this twice each, as well as our collegers and 30 somethings, womens fellowshipers and every man in the church. Every saint, every age, needs this mindset in regards to Christian accountability. Well done sir; I look forward to the next installment.
Agreed Mr. Chavez. Great reminders for us all.
True dat! I can’t wait to see the next couple of parts to this series.
Thanx
[...] deceitfulness of sin. Limited Perspective Moving on from the foundational understanding that our accountability begins with God, we also have to recognize that accountability does involve other people. Even with our best [...]
[...] Part 1 [...]