Accountable

The majority of people who hear the word “accountable,” understand it to mean someone’s responsibility for something, or someone. For example: parents are accountable (responsible) for the actions of their minor children. OK, you get this, right? But is it just me, or is this “accountability,” viewed as negative? Like you are only held “accountable,” when something goes wrong?

When we speak of “accountability.” we are almost always looking for the place we can put the blame for something that has gone wrong, or for the wrong actions of someone. We don’t usually look to give credit to “others”, when their children or responsibilities are doing well, do we? So when we hear the word “accountable,” most people prepare to be judged and/or accused of something.

Accountability does not mean having Christians looking over your shoulder and criticizing your motives for everything you do. But, some church people have high-jacked the term as belonging exclusively to the Christian community, and use it as an excuse for criticism and open judgment of other Christians, and that is just plain wrong!

Everyone should be accountable for doing the right thing, and to other people. But the process of accountability needs to be one of permission and invitation, and not persuasion and assumption. Can I get an AMEN here?? So how does this happen? First, as a professed follower of Christ, or Christian, you should be living your life according to the life and teaching of the One you profess to follow. Next, you need to invite another Christian(s) to hold you “accountable” to this profession. This means then that if  (really “when”) you go off course, you have given someone permission to remind you who you said you were following, and what they see that is in opposition to that.

In other words, we as fellow Christians should be holding each other accountable to the Biblical standards demonstrated and taught by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ willingly. Not out of guilt or in an attempt to “appear” more Christian, but out of a deep sense of community, based on love, building each other up. This is why we need to be together as believers more than just on Sunday. We need multiple contact points during the week with other believers, who are hearing the same messages and studying the same Scriptures, and who have permission to speak into our lives without fear of offending us.

Do you get this? Will you be willing to be accountable? Share this with another brother or sister in faith (again mandatory they are a believer) this week and ask them to hold you accountable to what you say you believe…I triple dog dare you.

You will never be the same…and isn’t that the point of the completed work of Jesus on the cross after all: changed lives – will you change yours and be “accountable” for it?

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,” – Jesus (Matt. 12:36)

Well?

In His grip,

Pastor Pat