Accountability – “The quality or state of being accountable. – Webster’s dictionary

• Accountability is a binding relationship that develops growth, moral and ethical excellence.
• Accountability is not support therapy an opportunity to allow for excuses.
• When a person becomes accountable to another, they make themselves accountable to someone other than themselves.

Why should we consider becoming accountable to someone else?

• We cannot stand without accountability.  1 Cor 10:12
• Every man/woman should make themselves accountable to at least:
  • God
  • Their spouse
  • Their family
  • Those they lead
  • Those leaders above them
  • At least one other person who could be considered their spiritual mentor.

We are all accountable whether we know it or not.  People are watching us day and night.  They are looking to see if we are who we say we are.  They base their trust and confidence in us according to the level of truth they see in our lives.  If they do not consider our lives to be worthy of their confidence or trust, then our ministry will have no effect on their lives. 

Accountability keeps us from moral and spiritual failure.
Proverbs 27:17  Iron sharpeneth iron: so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” 
Having someone to be accountable to keeps us from ourselves.  Realizing that someone else will judge our actions causes us to “consider our ways”. 

Accountability strengthens our person.  Doing right makes one feel right.   There is no better feeling in the world than knowing in your heart that you are right with God and your fellow man.  Having hidden sin in your life creates doubt and fear in a person.  Our character is misaligned by an imbalance of righteousness in our lives.  When we do right, we feel right.  When we feel right, our outlook and vision is clear and without distortion.  When our vision and outlook is right, God can speak to us and lead us into greater things.

Our accountability teaches those under us to be accountable.  How can we teach or expect accountability if we ourselves are not accountable.  Those we lead should know that we too have a master.  We also have someone who we answer too.  Too many good men and women have gone awry in their personal and spiritual lives because they had no one they were accountable to.  They were great preachers.  They were strong leaders.  They could attract a crowd and encourage masses, but their own character became flawed when they decided they did not need to be accountable to anyone.

• A person who is not accountable to his/her Pastor or mentor may easily fall into doctrinal or spiritual error.
• A person who does not make themselves accountable to their spouse will fall into moral lapse.
• A person who is not accountable to their employer will not produce a profit for the employer thus making themselves a thief of their employers substance and profits.
• A person who is not accountable to those they lead will ultimately cause mistrust thus creating an opportunity for accusations against themselves.
• A person who is not accountable in their finances will inevitably create stress on their home and ministry.  Accountability in finances will keep a person from making decisions which could create destructive debit. 

About Pastor James Smith

Pastor James Smith, Valparaiso, Indiana – Founder of PreachIt.org, OpportunityHope.org, and PastoralHelps.com.

He equips pastors worldwide with sermons, leadership tools, and encouragement, while also caring for orphaned and at-risk children in West Bengal, India through OpportunityHope. Beyond the orphanage and school, OpportunityHope provides clean water wells, livestock, and other humanitarian helps to families and villages in need. Additional books, leadership training, and mentoring resources are available through PastoralHelps.com.