Новые времена Go back to the homepage Strength through accountability / sub-accountability More often than we would like, we hear sad and sometimes scandalous stories of prominent leaders found guilty of immoral or unethical misconduct. Someone has built an impeccable reputation and earned respect and admiration in his or her professional life, but when evil misconduct is discovered, it all suddenly comes crashing down. How could this happen? We wonder and shake our heads, perhaps recalling the mournful words of Israel's future king David: "How the mighty have fallen" (2 Samuel 1:19) when he learned of the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan on the battlefield. When we hear of an epic failure of leadership, we may have other questions: could it have been avoided? Were there early signs that this man's career was taking signs of a destructive turn? Scripture gives many warnings that this can happen. For example, 1 Corinthians 10:12 warns: "Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing, beware lest he fall." The book of Proverbs 4:23 warns, "Keep your heart most of all things, for out of it are the springs of life." There are many people mentioned in the pages of the Bible who started out well in their walk with God, but somewhere along the way fell into the net of sin, resulting in terrible consequences. Ironically, one of them was King David, who, as it says in 2 Samuel 11, not only committed adultery, but ordered the murder of Uriah, a faithful soldier, to cover up his sin. Since we are all imperfect, does that mean such failures are inevitable? One preventative measure can be to establish an accountability relationship with one or more people you trust and know they will be honest with you. For this to be effective, you must be willing to tell them, "You can ask me any question you want – about every area of my life." The purpose of this is not to catch you failing, but to enable you to succeed at what you want to do and to warn you if they see you heading in the wrong direction. Here are some helpful principles from the Bible: We can keep each other energized. We benefit from "constructive friction" when we confront each other in the process of caring accountability relationships, striving to do the best for each other. "Iron sharpens iron, and a man sharpens the eye of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17). We can find strength in numbers. In isolation we can rationalize or even fool ourselves into doing things we know are wrong or unreasonable. "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward in their labor: for if one falls, the other shall lift up his fellow…" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). We all need support. It is in times of discouragement that we can become most vulnerable to temptation. People who encourage us are able to remind us of our hope in the Lord. "Let us be considerate of one another, encouraging one another to love and good works. Let us not forsake our assembly, as is the custom of some; but let us exhort one another…" (Hebrews 10:24-25). We can trust trustworthy people when we fail. Instead of hiding sin and letting guilt consume us, we trust trust trustworthy accountability partners who can offer invaluable advice on how to get back on the right track. "Confess your transgressions one to another, and pray for one another to be healed: much can the increased prayer of the just do" (James 5:16). © 2023. Robert J. Tamasi has written Marketplace Ambassadors: the continuing legacy of CBMC evangelism and discipleship; Business at its Best: timeless wisdom from Proverbs for today's workplace; In Search of Life with the Heart of a Shepherd, co-authored with Ken Johnson; and The Heart of Mentoring, co-authored with David A. Stoddard. Bob's bi-weekly blog: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. Questions for reflection/discussion How do you react when you hear about an outstanding person, once admired, who has been trapped in a moral or ethical transgression? Have you ever wondered why or how this could have happened? Explain your response. When you hear the word ‘accountability’, what is your reaction? Is it positive or negative? Before reading Manna for Monday, how would you define accountability? Why do you think it's hard for some people to agree to build accountability relationships? Have you had an accountability relationship with anyone? If yes, what was the experience like? What advantages did it give you? Can you name any disadvantages of being accountable to one or several other people? NOTE. If you have a Bible and want to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 12:15, 18:2,4,12,24, 19:3,8,16,20,27; James 3:13-18
