Guess what?! I’m 50% more accountable to God this year than I was last year!

Not that I’m particularly thrilled about it, but it’s a reality I can’t ignore. Not without grave consequences anyway. Let me explain…

GROWING PAINS

Not including myself, I’ve now got 18 members at this little church, the last 6 of whom were added since mid-February. In other words, our membership roster has grown by about 50% this year. Now, Hebrews 13:17 reminds me that I will “give an account” for all eighteen of those members. So, if you’re one of them, congratulations, I am now personally responsible to God for how you turn out.

(Woe is me).

Accountability, however, isn’t unique only to the pastor(s) of a church, it’s expected of the members as well. Again, Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your (church) leaders, and submit to them”. It appears that, by sovereign arrangement, your leaders are accountable to God for you, which makes you accountable to your leaders.

(Woe is you).

OLD CLOTHES

What, exactly, does ‘accountability’ mean anyway? Well, the Cambridge dictionary defines it as “being responsible for what you do, and able to give a satisfactory reason for it”. That said, you and I both have somebody in our life to whom we must explain ourselves. We are to be certain that they are satisfied with the choices that we are making. This means that we don’t live our life as we please any longer. It means that we take others into consideration when making personal decisions from now on. It also means that there will be divine consequences if we persist in selfish, independent living.  

Membership here means many things, but among them is accountability.

Biblical accountability is an itchy garment we’re all meant to wear. God has woven it into the fabric of the church, and it’s as comfortable as burlap. Yet refusing to put it on just because of how it makes you feel, is entirely juvenile. Those who won’t, are like spiritual children with no qualms about running around naked in public. They might be enjoying themselves in the moment, but they are oblivious to the fact that somebody else is being held responsible for their behavior.

It’s a concern when this kind of lifestyle goes unaddressed. Those who hold too tightly to their personal freedom are destined to chronic irresponsibility, prolonged immaturity, and shallow relationships. Independence isn’t a mark of Christian adulthood after all, it’s proof of spiritual infancy. The reason you’re not growing up is because you won’t put accountability on.

NEW UNIFORM

Individuality is the air we breathe. Freedom is our life-blood. Answering to someone else is counter-intuitive, counter-cultural, and (in many churches) counter-orthodox. Accountability is a foreign practice in numerous American ministries. But apart from it, you’ll never be anything more than an “average Christian”, and we’ll never be anything more than a run-of-the-mill fellowship. It’s time to trash our old clothes.

The first step in taking responsibility for yourself is to acknowledge that someone else is responsible for you. The next step is to love them enough to make yourself accountable to them. Doing so will transform you into a healthier person, and us together, into a stronger church. Accountability propels us toward maturity.

“A culture of accountability makes a good organization great…and a great organization unstoppable” –Henry Evans

TAILOR FIT

Membership here means many things, but among them is accountability. Not because we like it, but because we need it. Responsibility and accountability are a prickly garb. But only when you put them on will you realize how well they fit. You and I were made to wear them.

Whether our church grows by another 50% next year or not, I hope we’ll recognize the importance of what God has said in Hebrews 13:17, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you”.

Scripture and statistics both indicate that I’m more accountable this year than I was last year.

Is the same true of you?