True Accountability

Accountability can go one of two ways: you humbly accept the correction or get defensive and fight back. Someone holding you accountable is not an unwarranted attack on your character but rather a loving act of friendship. Accountability generally happens when you have set a goal and communicated it with someone. Let’s say you desire to shoot 100 baskets daily in the off-season to help you stay disciplined. You tell your teammates about this goal and ask them to hold you accountable. A few weeks later, a teammate approaches you, calling you out on not maintaining your goal. How do you react? 

As Christians, we are called in Scripture to hold each other accountable for how we live our lives. Luke 17: 3 says, “Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him”. As a Christian, you must be okay with brothers and sisters in Christ calling you out when you are not representing Christ. Being a Christian means you will try to live your life in a way that reflects Christ. When we fail (and we all will) let’s hope we have friends who love us enough to call us out and help us get back to right living.

Would you genuinely want a teammate that lets you slack off and not meet your goals? No! You want someone who will come alongside you and spur you toward your goals, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation might be. So have a coachable heart in both sport and faith. 

So, how will you respond when held accountable? Will you humbly accept that you are not walking in the way of the Lord, or will you come up with excuses, get angry, or even fight back because you are feeling attacked?

The wiser way is to humble yourself before the Lord and thank God that your friends love you enough to call you out.