accountability

One of the practices we talk quite a bit about at Stone Church is accountability.

 

Accountability is so important in our walk with Christ.

 

Let me give you a definition of accountability:

 

To be regularly answerable for each of the key areas of our lives to qualified people.

 

The Bible says in Proverbs 27:6, "The kisses of an enemy may be profuse, but faithful are the wounds of a friend."

 

Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." 

 

I was reading today of an iceberg - which is one of nature's most beautiful and dangerous phenomenons. 

 

When you look at an iceberg, what you see of these masses of broken off glaciers is beautiful - like the "best foot" each of us puts forward with our friends.

 

But only one eighth to one tenth of an iceberg is visible - the rest is hidden below the surface of the water.

 

The visible you is where you and I talk on a cliché level.  We talk about the news, sports and the weather - the latest sales at such and such a store.

 

The "real you"  is below the surface.  That consists of the unexamined life, our secret thought life, the purposes, priorities and goals of our lives, our ambitions, motives, relationships, the use of our time and money, our moral and ethical behavior, the emotions of pride, fear, anger, problems, suffering and discouragement.

 

Like an iceberg, the beautiful part of our lives is that tenth or so which people can see.  What's below the surface, however, is where we live our real lives - lives often hidden from the scrutiny of other Christians.

 

The jagged subsurface edges of our secret lives often rip open our relationships and damage our spiritual lives.  What is unseen - can sink you!

 

That's why we need a format and setting to talk and share about the "subsurface you".

 

We all need somebody who loves us but is not impressed by us.  Somebody to whom we can be accountable.  Somebody who's willing to keep you honest, who is willing to say, "Hey, you are neglecting your spouse, and don't give me any guff!"

 

Just a thought for a Thursday.