Accountability

November 16

Ezekiel 39-40

Psalm 122

Proverbs 27:17-18

James 5:1-12

Accountability

“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  Proverbs 27:17 LSB

We are not meant to be alone.  “Then Yahweh God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’” Genesis 2:18 LSB   God created us as relational beings. We need people to fulfill different roles in our lives.  Different people serve different functions.  Some provide companionship, romantic attraction, love, intimacy, mentorship, wise counsel, fun and adventure, familial bonding, laughter, or friendship. No one person meets all of those needs.  The role that Solomon was talking about in Proverbs 27:17 is accountability.  We all need people who will hold us accountable.  We need people who tell us what we need to hear and not what we want to hear.  We need people who will say the hard things to us because they love us too much to keep their mouth shut.  This type of relationship doesn’t happen overnight.  It requires trust and respect.  If we know they love us and want what is best for us, we are much more willing to listen to their advice even if it is something we don’t want to hear.  Instead of reacting defensively, we can listen to what they have to say and discuss it rationally.  If we feel safe with them, we can be honest and transparent which will help us examine our motives and intentions.

Accountability is a two-way street. In order to have people who hold you accountable, you have to be willing to hold others accountable too.  It’s hard.  It is much easier just to go along with them or not say anything when you know they are messing up.   Accountability requires humility and prayer by both parties.  Before we confront someone, we need to pray and make sure that the wisdom we are giving is from God and not from ourselves.  We need to approach them with an attitude of humility and mercy, not arrogance or pride.  And if we are the one who is being confronted we need to pray and ask God for help in humbly receiving what they have to say.  It is also important that we seek out counsel from others and don’t assume we know what we are doing or that we are right.  “The way of an ignorant fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” Proverbs 12:15 LSB   Often we need the advice of others in making decisions because it is beneficial to have different perspectives.  Our own desires and opinions can cloud our judgment and make it difficult to know what is best.  If you don’t have people who hold you accountable, pray and ask God to bring people into your life who can meet this need.