ACCOUNTABILITY Part 1 ~ Precious Victor Akah
Most people would prefer to live their lives not being accountable to anyone, because they think that is freedom. But, is this what God thinks? Would God want us to live our lives not being accountable to anyone? And did God design us to live without accountability? Will we really do well without accountability?
This was a discussion I had with a sister last year, but on Saturday morning, the Lord stirred me up to put it into writing in order to reach more people with it and bless them.
Well, let's start by defining accountability. This is my personal definition of accountability: It is choosing willingly to submit yourself and to lay yourself bare before someone trustworthy, for guidance and instruction, or to build and maintain trust with someone.
Accountability may not be compulsory, but it is very crucial. It is a choice you have to make, and if you choose to be accountable, it is for your own good. And if you choose not to, it is to your own disadvantage. I honestly think that it would be difficult for any child of God to fulfill their life purpose and successfully run the heavenly race to the end without accountability.
In case you're wondering, accountability is very much biblical. Proverbs 11:14 says, "Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm], But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory."
In 2 Chronicles 24:2, it was recorded that King Joash did what was right in the sight of the LORD as long as Jehoiada the priest [his uncle] was alive. But guess what happened after his uncle (who he was accountable to) passed on? He went haywire.
This is what the Bible records: "But after Jehoiada’s death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice. They decided to abandon the Temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. Yet the Lord sent prophets to bring them back to him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen" (2 Chronicles 24:17-19). Unfortunately, King Joash did not repent before his death; his officials assassinated him in his bed.
You can read the full story in 2 Chronicles Chapter 24.
Elisha was accountable to Prophet Elijah and he fulfilled his destiny. King David was accountable to Prophet Nathan. Joshua was accountable to Moses. Moses was accountable to God. Timothy was accountable to Paul. The twelve disciples were accountable to Jesus while He was with them on earth. Unfortunately, mighty Samson was not accountable to anyone, no wonder he died earlier than he should.
HOW TO FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER
• The first step in finding an accountability partner is to first understand the need or the importance of accountability, because if you don't see the need for accountability, you may easily give up in seeking for an accountability partner.
• Second step is to desire to have an accountability partner. The Bible says God will grant the desires of the righteous. So if you desire it, God will grant your desire.
• Third step is to earnestly ask the Holy Spirit to bring the right partner to you or to lead you to the person He knows is perfect for your situation.
• Fourth step is to be on the lookout. Be sensitive and observant enough to know when the Holy Spirit brings someone your way or is leading you to someone.
But I assure you that if you honestly desire to have an accountability partner and you persistently ask God to give you someone, He'll grant your heart desire.
Moreover, these are IMPORTANT qualities the right accountability partner must have:
• He or she must be connected to God.
• He or she must be able to tell you the truth and what you NEED to hear, not what you would LIKE to hear.
• They must be trustworthy, wise, and able to keep confidential information.
ADVANTAGES OF HAVING AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER
• It helps you get things done and done faster than you would have done it without accountability. If you can have proper assessment, you would realize that some of the things you planned to actualize this year that you're yet to get done is partly due to lack of accountability.
• It helps you do the right thing. It's a funny illustration but, you usually would not pick your nose in public because you're aware that people are watching you. This is what having an accountability partner helps you do: knowing you would account for everything you do to someone, you'd be motivated, strengthened and driven to do the right thing, because you don't want to bring a bad or shameful report to them. This is also what having the Holy Spirit as your spiritual accountability partner does as well: you try your best to do the right thing always, knowing that the Holy Spirit is watching you and seeing every single thing you do.
A lot of young girls and boys go to university or to boarding schools and start misbehaving because they stopped being accountable to someone. But if they continue to be accountable to their parents, guardians, mentor, or a trustworthy teacher/lecturer, and to the Holy Spirit, they'd not misbehave.
An intending Christian couple who wants to have a pure and holy pre-marital relationship, void of sexual immorality, will better achieve this with accountability.
• It helps you rule over procrastination and laziness. Many people are guilty of procrastinating, which can affect their productivity and various other areas of their lives. Whether it's starting a project, writing a book, cleaning the bathroom, planning an event, making a phone call, doing the laundry etc., some people procrastinate a lot, and they may never overcome procrastination and laziness until they get an accountability partner.
• It helps you overcome certain secret addictions like addiction to porn, masturbation, fornication, homosexuality, even drinking and smoking. Some persons battling with porn addiction, masturbation, and fornication, has confided in me many times, and one of the things I tell them is, you have to agree to let me know whenever you engage in the act again; you have to become accountable. I do this because sin thrives in secrecy, and secret sins are harder to combat when they remain secret. Also, they being accountable to me has a special way of deterring them from feeding their addiction, thereby making their recovery process easy and fast.
We'll stop here this week. Please come back next week Monday to read the Part 2 of this blog post. Next week we'll be looking at what to expect as you choose to be accountable to someone; if accountability is a one-off or a lifelong thing; how to remain accountable; and what to do when your accountability partner turns their back on you.
Stay blessed.
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