Wednesday Weigh-in: From Desperation to Determination

Accountability.  Sometimes that can be a scary word.  Accountability means opening up, being real with another person and allowing him/her to share in a part of your life that can be very personal.  I know personally, accountability forces me to be extremely vulnerable.  Allowing someone else to examine or keep track of what I am doing, opens me up to the possibility of public failure-which for me is one of the worst possible scenarios.  Fear of failure and fear of others knowing I have failed are two things that stress me out!  

As I continue to examine my life, I realize that accountability is not only important but it is essential.  Though it is scary to put myself out there at first, in the long run, accountability has actually been just what I need.  Leading the Made to Crave bible study has been a huge accountability partner!  I have 12 other women keeping me in check. =) 

Even the greatest of leaders needed accountability.  King David was a great king.  He walked closely with God; he was a mighty warrior and a gifted musician.  God had blessed him with so much yet he still felt deprived because he wanted the wife of another man.  As we know, David allowed his temptations to overtake him.  Each time he took a wife or a concubine, he made what he probably thought was a small compromise.  He probably thought, "No big deal" or "It can't hurt this one time."  But 7 wives later he was in a very different place.

With no accountability, each small compromising step David took, added up to a great distance away from God's heart.  It was in this place of desperation that David found himself taking what was not his, trying to cover it up and having a man killed.  Talk about displeasing God!  This is David we are talking about here!  The man who even God said, "I have found David, son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." (Acts 13:22)  But even David needed accountability in his life.  No one questioned his actions and he felt no reason to stop.  Even the greatest of leaders reap the consequences of a life lacking accountability.

We all need accountability in our lives.  Accountability doesn't mean we will never sin or mess up.  But it does help us fight harder against our struggles.  It also helps to know someone is there to help us get back up when we do fall. 

As Lysa points out in her book, King Solomon knew the the power of accountability:

  

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
   But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
   two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Who is holding you accountable? If you cannot name at least one person then it is time for you to find someone.  Ask someone to join you on your journey.  You will be glad you did.