Faithful Accountability

Accountability | “Unless we are answerable on a regular basis for the key areas of our personal lives, we, like sheep, will go astray. Yet to submit our lives for inspection to someone else grates on our desire to be independent. While we desire to live like a Christian, we often want to keep it “just between me and Jesus.” – Patrick M. Morley The Man in the Mirror

scrip·ture | James 5:16 ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

de·vo·tion | Do you know how many times I have been in the position where I am in a large group of people, and the person up front says, “Who here doesn’t know what such and such a thing is?” or “Who here is struggling with such and such a thing?” Internally, I say to myself, “Wait, that is me!”, but I fight the immediate urge to look around at the people with that empty unknowing despondent look. After the initial shock, I get my personal composure under control, and I look around the room hoping to see some hands go up so I don’t look like the only one singled out by the evil facilitator up front. Seconds tick by and I realize that I am the only one that doesn’t know or am struggling. Unless there is some other shmuck out there not raising their hand, how dare they. Well, I can’t raise my hand and become vulnerable in front of all these people, right? Finally, the person up front moves on, and I am left none the wiser. Somewhere deep down I weighed the option of looking “bad” in front of all these people versus stepping up and admitting that I have a gap in understanding or admit that I am dealing with some kind of issue. Instead of looking at the group around me and seeing a platform of individuals that can help me, my pride won me over and I sit there among all those people feeling alone.

As a Christian, the hardest parts of my faith walk have been both my prayer life, and more importantly my vulnerability. Shame surrounding some of my toughest sins played a huge part in me wanting to suppress those parts of my life and tackle things on my own. In my independence, I really didn’t want to raise my hand and be held accountable for the righteousness that I was being called to. I found myself truly thinking, if I admit to my sin, I was admitting that I needed to take responsibility of my faith. It was when I finally swallowed my sinful pride, looked up, raised my hand, and told my story when progress finally started to happen and I was on the road to sanctification.

Where are you today? Do you find yourself not wanting to raise your hand, because you feel a sense of shame? Do you find yourself in a fit of pride trying to fight your sinful desires on your own? Do you find yourself looking around and thinking you are the only one struggling? Just know, you are not alone. When you look around, realize you are not the only one not raising your hand. Look up my friends, raise your hand, and tell your story, and start your journey of faithful accountability.

prayer | LORD, I pray that You continue to break me down. I want to thank You for putting those people in my life I can be vulnerable to. It is only in my ability to be honest with You that I make progress in driving towards the righteousness you have called me to. Continue to drive those people in my life that can hold me accountable in those areas of my life that I need to change. Be with those that need the courage to look up, raise their hand, and tell their story. Amen

Daily Alone Time with God |

Chapter of the Week | Proverbs 17

Mon·day | Matthew 7:1–2 ¹ “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

Tues·day | Galatians 6:1–2 ¹ Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Wednes·day | Psalm 51:16-17 ¹⁶ For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. ¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Thurs·day | Romans 14:12 ¹² So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Fri·day | 2 Corinthians 5:10 ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Look Up and Rise Above

Avoiding Suffering | “Everyone is going to suffer. The only decision is whether you are going to suffer with Christ or without Him.” – Patrick M. Morley The Man in the Mirror
 

scrip·ture | Isaiah 40:26 ²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.

de·vo·tion | When I was in college, I worked for a company that was a re-seller of Microsoft products to specific departments within the University. At the beginning of the job, they flew each of the “Student Ambassadors” to Chicago for a conference. When I woke up the morning of the flight, it was down pouring outside and I was pretty sure that my flight would be cancelled. Instead, as I made it through security and to the terminal to board, it was apparent that they were going to go through with the flight.

Traditionally, I do not get very nervous when I fly, but the storm was really making me nervous. After everyone was boarded, the plane took off into the storm. As we continued to gain altitude, I couldn’t help but look outside my window and see the rain falling down and watching our wings flop in the wind. About 20 minutes into the flight, my nervousness had turned into panic. It was completely dark outside the window, the rain continued to beat upon the plane, and the turbulence was tossing all of us around. To cap off my panic, I looked out the window to see a flash of light that blinded me and sent my head reeling.

In their wisdom and years of experience, you could feel the pilots turn the nose of the plane upwards. You could see the clouds engulf us and the clouds rushed passed my window as I waited for the craziness to end. After two minutes of pulling out my hair and biting my finger nails off, our plane broke through the clouds and out of the storm. The brightness of the sun brought an instant calm to everyone that was on board, and the shaking had completely stopped. You could look below and see the storm raging on, but we had risen above and found ourselves in a place of calmness and warmth.

As I think about the storms in my life, it is easy for me to get caught up in the chaos that intrudes my thinking. I spend a lot of time sitting in solitude trying to weather out the sufferings I am faced with. From sickness in the family, to losing my job, to watching a friend in pain, I couldn’t help but wallow in nervousness and panic. But in the times of personal turbulence, I have to only look up and bring my suffering and fear to God. In His empathy, He understands our pain and asks that in our faith, we look to the hope that exists in our relationship with Him. It is in the times I have risen above the storm and put my faith in my heavenly Father that I have been able to stretch and grow in ways that would otherwise be impossible.

What storms are brewing in your life? Do you find yourself in a place of solitude, trying to weather the storm on your own? Look up and rise above the storm my friends. When you climb up and above the clouds through faith, you will find strength, comfort, and solace in the One who loves us most.

prayer | LORD, in my effort to solve all my problems on my own, I have lost track of my faith and who my hope is in. You have provided us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. I come to you now with all of my worries. Help me to rise above the storm and see the light and warmth that You provide when I abide with You. You are my strong tower, and I have only to lift up my anxieties to You and allow your Spirit to strengthen me in the times I most need it. Amen

Daily Alone Time with God |

Chapter of the Week | Proverbs 15

Mon·day | 1 Peter 5:10 ¹⁰ And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
 

Tues·day | Romans 5:3–4 ³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

Wednes·day | Galatians 6:2 ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
 
Thurs·day | 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
 
Fri·day | Acts 14:22 ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.