Accountability - Place or Replace

Over the last 10 years of church history ‘accountability’ has become a regular part of the vocabulary of people’s lives. People talk about being ‘in an accountability group’ or ‘having an accountability partner.’ You might overhear others talk about ‘being held accountable.’ Regularly, here at South Whidbey Assembly, when helping someone break a habit or some life controlling practice, we will utilize the strength of accountability.

Accountability is an interesting practice. I might recruit someone to ‘hold me accountable’ for how I am doing in my spiritual disciplines of praying, reading, fasting, meditating, giving and so on. It is a great thought that someone would ‘hold me accountable.’ The problem is that someone else can only hold me accountable when two conditions are in operation. Condition number one is that I give full permission to and cooperate with the one holding me accountable. Condition number two is that I am brutally honest when I don’t do what I am seeking the accountability for. Both conditions are totally controlled by me! When accountability fails to work – this is most often the point of the breakdown.

One of the understandings that I have recently come to is that accountability has a place but it is not meant to replace. Let me explain.

The place for accountability is to help me, support me and coach me while CHARACTER is being formed in my life. Accountability is meant to be the supports holding up a particular wall while adjacent character walls and character structures are put into place.

Accountability is not meant to replace character creation, growth or development. When accountability hinders character creation, the person is weakened and not strengthened. When accountability becomes a replacement rather than having a simple place, the person fails to move forward as is intended.

Ultimately, the character of Jesus in us is what is to guide our choices, habits and practices - not accountability.

The bottom line question has to always be: Is the character of Jesus being formed in me?