ACCOUNTABILITY Part 2 ~ Precious Victor Akah
Please read PART ONE HERE before continuing with part two for better understanding of this series.
We're continuing from where we stopped last week and we'll be looking at what to expect as you choose to become 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.
Let's get right into it.
WHAT TO EXPECT AS YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME ACCOUNTABLE TO SOMEONE
• You would have no secrets. You must lay yourself bare before the person you have chosen to be accountable to. You must be truthful and honest to them and answer any question they ask you truthfully. You owe your accountability partner truthfulness and transparency. Gehazi lied to Prophet Elisha and he was destroyed (2 Kings 5:20-27). So, be truthful and stay truthful to your accountability partner, it is for your own good, because he/she can only help you as long as you remain truthful to them.
• When you disappoint the person you are accountable to (through disobedience to their instructions or a careless mistake) you would feel very ashamed to open up to them, but you must tell them what happened regardless. In 1 Samuel Chapter 15, King Saul disappointed Prophet Samuel but delayed to own up to his wrongdoing and it cost him a lot. Learn from him.
• You would be chastised and reproved by the person you are accountable to when you misbehave. Their chastisement and reproof is a demonstration of love and real interest in your well-being. "For the LORD reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights." Proverbs 3:12
• The moment you have signed up to be accountable to someone, you must remain accountable to them; you must tell them the truth, you cannot hide anything from them no matter how much you are tempted to and no matter how dirty, horrible, shameful or evil what you may have done is.
• If you choose to be accountable to the wrong person, you'll miss out on the rewards of accountability. You'd be misled, deceived, derailed, and in some cases betrayed. So, it is very important to get the right accountability partner. Read 2 Chronicles 22:3-4
IS ACCOUNTABILITY A ONE-OFF THING?
Well, without accountability, you may be able to get some things done and achieve some of your goals if you're very disciplined, but you won't be able to get everything done and achieve all your goals without accountability. A lazy person or a procrastinator may need to remain accountable to their accountability partner for life to be able to always get things done.
Also, if someone is struggling with a secret addiction, like addiction to pornography, drinking, fornication, masturbation, homosexuality, womanizing... (all those sins and addictions that can be indulged in secretly), without opening up to someone, they may never come out of such addiction. And after opening up to someone and getting an accountability partner, if they don't remain accountable to them, they may relapse and go back to their vomit.
Gehazi was accountable to Prophet Elisha, but he never remained accountable to Him and we saw how he ended.
Judas Iscariot was accountable to Jesus, but never remained accountable to Him like the rest of the apostles, and we saw what his end was like.
King Saul was accountable to Prophet Samuel but did not remain accountable to Him and he had a terrible end.
So accountability is not a one-off thing, but a lifelong thing, as long as you want to maintain or sustain the success you've achieved through accountability. If you got it by being accountable, you need to also sustain it by remaining accountable.
If you're someone who struggles with procrastination, you really cannot do without accountability, because you won't get things done if you're not accountable to someone. And one of the major tools to combat procrastination is accountability.
The truth then is, everyone of us will do much better with accountability. Because human beings have the tendency to do the right thing or what is expected of them when they know someone is monitoring or watching them, but when it seems no one is looking or checking up on them, many people lack the motivation to do what is expected of them, even to pursue their set goals.
HOW TO REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE
• Having a good understanding of why you need to remain accountable will help you stay accountable.
• Having a knowledge of what you stand to gain being accountable and what you stand to lose not being accountable will help you stay accountable. Because when you have a reason to remain accountable, you'll remain accountable.
• Take a decision to remain accountable no matter the circumstance and be committed to your decision. So whether you feel like it or not, you must keep your word. Psalm 15:4b is quite helpful in learning to keep your word. Because deciding to remain accountable to someone is giving them your word that you'll tell them anything that happens or seek their counsel before making critical decisions.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER TURNS THEIR BACK ON YOU
When they turn their back on you, turn your "front" to God who led you to them, to help you get over the pain, to forgive them and let go, and for God to bring someone else to you.
But you must understand that if their going is not your making, that is, you did not breach the relationship between you and them by refusing to remain accountable or by telling them lies which they found out and severed the relationship, then it means that the work they came to do in your life has finished and God is going to bring a new person for the new level He's taking you to. So let Romans 8:28 comfort your heart and encourage you to move on with God.
God bless you.
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