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.