Being Held Accountable


Accountability. It’s such an ugly word, I think. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a pretty responsible, trustworthy, and reliable person…when I want or need to be. However, I’m also non-committal and indecisive. Therefore, I am not usually the first person to volunteer, but if I say I will do something, then I will follow-through because I’ve made that commitment. If I haven’t committed to something, don’t look for me to do it. I’m also pretty lazy at times; and very insecure. Why am I telling you all of this? (Besides the fact that I frequently overshare?) Because I honestly feel like if I can commit to something, sacrifice my time or money or effort, then others should be able to as well. I don’t mean that I think everyone should do what I do; what I mean is I believe everyone should be doing something

I’ve really been struggling with this lately. I’m not trying to be or sound self-righteous; again—I don’t think I’m all that special—but I just don’t understand how if I can find the time, money, inconvenience to [fill in the blank], then why does it seem like no one else can? I realize we all lead very different, yet similarly, very busy lives. And I realize I don’t know what goes on in most people’s lives, but everyone has something to offer to someone else. It just seems like no one wants to be bothered with helping

I wonder if we even realize that to be Christians is to be Christ-like. Can you name a time in the Bible when Jesus was selfish? Everything He did (from teaching and feeding thousands on a beach, to His death) was for the sake of someone other than Himself. Jesus is the epitome of selflessness. He is Who we strive to be like… yet we can’t do one simple thing for others most of the time. Nobody wants to be held accountable for anyone else other than themselves (and in case you haven’t noticed in this world, most people won’t even take accountability for their own actions anymore either).

Why do we struggle with not only volunteering ourselves, but also holding others accountable for their own stewardship? Is it because we assume that if we don’t give much, we shouldn’t expect others to as well? OR, we don’t expect others to give much so we don’t have to either? Do you realize that even if we’re not holding ourselves, or others accountable doesn’t mean that God is letting each of us off the hook also? (Matthew 25:19, Luke 12:48, Romans 3:19) And can you imagine how angry, frustrated, tired, hurt…He must feel when we consistently don’t ‘show up’? (We don’t show up for Sunday School, skip out on a service or two (or more), we don’t volunteer at our church, we don’t write a check out weekly/monthly, we don’t worship with emotion, we aren’t on our knees praying, we don’t open our Bibles… [I could go on, and on]…

If you feel like you’re not getting enough from God (enough time to volunteer, enough money to tithe, enough effort to care…), it’s because you’re not giving enough to Him. God will give you all that you need when you give Him all that He wants. (Matthew 19:26, Luke 1:37, Philippians 4:13, 2 Peter 1:3). Faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26) [Take this pause to read that passage in its entirety] God will not move for you, until you commit to move for Him. (Matthew 13:58, Philippians 2:13) Why do we think He should feel so privileged that we are Christians, that we don’t owe Him anything other than us taking [destroying] His Name?

Take a moment before you move on from this reading, and ask our Lord and Savior, what you can do for Him, considering all that He’s done for you… Because regardless of what you think, you do owe Him a whole lot more than you’re giving Him. Period.

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