Hold Each Other Accountable
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you today because we desire to know you more and to do your will. Your Word is holy and powerful -- please open our hearts to your message and bend our willful spirits to your ways. You are ever-faithful and ever-present.
READ:
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-21 (NIV)
REFLECT:
A wise way to live is to rely on other Christians for assistance as we live and work in community. Accountability means you remove the element of isolation from your life and allow a trusted friend to help you and encourage you; and, likewise, you share their burden. We need accountability in our lives to protect us from our sin patterns. This is true for all our temptations, and accountability can be especially effective for sexual sins. Here are some ways you can resist sin:
1) Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority. (
Hebrews 12:17-18)
2) Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (
James 5:16)
3) Be wise. Don’t be foolish. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. (
Ephesians 5:15-21)
4) Encourage one another and build each other up. (
1 Thessalonians 5:8-11)
5) Fix your eyes on Jesus. (
Hebrews 12:2)
6) Do not lose heart when God rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the ones he loves. (
Hebrews 12:5-6)
APPLY:
Where in your life do you need to set up barriers to sin and add in layers of accountability? Who is someone that you can build an accountable relationship with? It’s not a weakness but rather a strength when we reach out to someone else for accountability. Additionally, when we hold someone else accountable in a loving and caring way, we’re showing and demonstrating God’s love.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, that you will never leave us alone in our sin and shame. You offer perfect peace through redemption. You are faithful and just and will forgive us if we come to you in repentance. Thank you for our fellow Christians who we can walk beside in faithfulness to you. Amen.