C.I.A.: Accountability

Recently I found a blogger who was struggling with drinking pop. She would drink so much that when she didn't her body would crave it and would give her trouble. She is in the process of weaning herself off of drinking pop. She was having a hard time, and she blogged about it and about how she needs someone to keep her accountable to not drinking it. She said:

"But one thing in particular I find lacking in all of Christendom--not just church: accountability.

Toward the end of the school year, I asked a girl in my Bible study to hold me accountable about something. Unfortunately, it was two weeks before the end of the year and we never got to speak privately before summer hit. She did email me in June to check in on me. But is this the best we can do?"

I had to completely agree with her. Christians have become lackadaisical in their walk and in their relationship not only with people, but God.

Lackadaisical... that's a pretty big word, huh? Well it has a powerful meaning to it, it means: without interest, vigor, or determination; lacking spirit, liveliness, or interest; languid. I have found that most Christians have lost their zeal for being a true Christian like the apostles were. We are too busy worrying about ourselves than our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
So this month, we are going to take a deeper look at what accountability is and means in a friendship.

The word accountability means: the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable to be called on to render an account; accountableness.
When you are a Christian you are held accountable for your actions. Everything you do, say, hear, think, etc, you are accountable to God for.

Romans 14:12
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

While you are always accountable to God, you need someone on earth to help you be accountable. God has given us people in our lives to help us with just that. It could be your mama, your dad, your grandma, your aunt, any relative, or a pastor or even a friend.

Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

The above verse is talking about a friend who will hold you accountable and will help you as you grow in grace and Godliness. When you run a piece of metal against another piece of metal it gets sharp, right? Isn't that how people sharpen dull knives? Yes!

When you are being held accountable by a friend who is true and Godly, you will be more likely to do what you are supposed to or needing to do. I mean, if you have someone checking in on you to make sure you are praying daily, then you are going to remember that you need to pray. It's the whole "out of sight, out of mind" saying. When something isn't always in your view, you tend to forget about it. When you have someone to hold you accountable, that is checking in on you to make sure you spent adequate time with the Lord, you are going to remember to do it.

When you have an accountability partner, you have someone who will pray for you in the areas that you need to be held accountable for. We need to be there for one another, praying and lifting each other up to the throne of God.

James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

We need to make sure we are being held accountable, so that when the times comes and Satan thrusts our past at us, we can give an account of a holy and righteous testimony and also an account of Jesus Christ and His works!

1 Corinthians 4:1
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

We are Christ' ambassadors and everything we do, we will be held accountable for. Do you want to be held accountable for sinful things or holy things?

As a friend, you can help your friends in their walk by setting up accountability partnerships. A true friend loves at all times.

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

A real, Godly friend will tell you, "hey, you are in sin, and I am here to help you come out of that and will hold you accountable til you do!" That is a real friend. A real friend is like a sweet counsel in your friendship.

Proverbs 27:9
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

When your friend gives you Godly counsel, it is like a ointment on an open sore. A real friend will help you with your wounds and sins.

I am now accountability partners with the above girl. We email each other daily, comment on each other's blog, and just make sure we are a presence in each other's lives, so that the other one knows we are still there and are still holding them accountable to their pledge.
We need to be held to accountability, because when we are become our own person and do our own things, that is when our flesh takes over. Take back your flesh and let it know that you are not in charge, but Christ is!

The first people you as a young lady should go to for accountability is your parents. They are set in charge of you by God and are responsible for you til your father gives you away to your husband.

If you would like to be held accountable for something that you need to do or stop doing, I will help you either by finding someone who will hold you accountable, or by holding you accountable myself. You can leave a comment or email me for more information on that.

Girls, God wants the best for you, even if it means to put someone in your life to make sure that your flesh is not in charge. Don't let your pride get in the way of the wonderful gift of accountability. It is ordained through Christ that we are held accountable.
Staying accountable for my actions!