BY BISHOP W. EARL BLEDSOE
North Texas Conference
What’s up with all this accountability stuff? That was the question a local pastor asked me a few weeks ago. From the tone of his voice I knew he was not comfortable with the word.
“Accountability” stems from the Latin word accomptare, which means “to give an account for something.” In essence, as Christians we all are accountable to God for the things of God. The scriptures are full of stories about accountability. The parable of the talents, or better yet, the story of the three servants in Matthew 25:14-30 is just one example of many that Jesus offers to suggest that accountability is the root of faith relationships. We all are ultimately accountable to God. Accountability helps us to get our priorities straight, and it helps us to focus on doing justice and mercy.
“But what about being accountable to one another?” he asked. I believe this is the crux of the matter. It’s noble to say we are all accountable to God, but to live out that accountability as Christians we must be willing to hold one another accountable as well. Several years ago, I found myself going here and there, all over the place, struggling with priorities and being stretched to the limit. I needed some balance in my life. My calendar was 24/7; fun, personal, and family time came after work. With work being 24/7, there was no time for fun, family or rest. I remember praying about it, and a long-time friend by the name of John Drew came to mind. John was a member of my congregation and a banker. He always wanted to know the bottom line. After much prayer and trepidation, I finally asked John to be my “accountability partner.” He was stunned and asked me what that meant. I stated: “I’m giving you permission to ask me about my soul and how I am balancing my church life with my personal life.” From that point up until now he has held me accountable. When we meet, he looks me in the eye and asks the first question: “How is it with your soul?” The second is right behind the first: “Are you spending time with Leslie?” And then the final one: “What are you doing for fun?”
My hope and prayer is that over the next several years in your midst we will come to terms with the word “accountability” and give it a chance to help balance our church lives with our personal lives. If you don’t have someone or a group that will hold you accountable, take the first step. It will make a difference!
