Accountability

Accountability Christian Behavior 1. How’s your thought life? 2. How are you handling the balance between work and home? 3. Have you been in the Word over the last few days? 4. What has God been teaching you recently? 5. How are you doing in handling God’s provision of time, talent, and money? 6. Are you being responsible in protecting your eyes, hands, feet and mind with women other than your wife? 7. Are you shooting straight in answering the above questions--or trying to blow smoke? A study conducted by The Roper Organization for High Adventure Ministries in 1990 found that the moral behavior of born again Christians actually worsened after their conversions. Examined were incidences of illegal drug use, driving while intoxicated and marital infidelity. The problem can be solved, says one researcher, with a new commitment to accountability and discipleship. New Man, November/December, 1994, p. 13

Relationship Building Relationship building is a process which takes time; when that time is invested, trust and vulnerability grow. We offer these questions as part of this building process, knowing that when used in love and wisdom they will help men open their hearts to each other. 1. Have I been with a woman in the past week that could be viewed as compromising? 2. Have all my financial dealings been filled with integrity? 3. Have I viewed sexually explicit material? 4. Have I spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer? 5. Have I spent quality time and given priority to my family? 6. Have I fulfilled the mandates of my calling? 7. Have I just lied to you?

A recent survey of Discipleship Journal readers ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them: 1. Materialism. 2. Pride. 3. Self-centeredness. 4. Laziness. 5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness. 6. (Tie) Sexual lust. 7. Envy. 8. Gluttony. 9. Lying. Survey respondents noted temptations were more potent when they had neglected their time with God (81 percent) and when they were physically tired (57 percent). Resisting temptation was accomplished by prayer (84 percent), avoiding compromising situations (76 percent), Bible study (66 percent), and being accountable to someone (52 percent). Discipleship Journal, 11-12/92

Developing Accountability In Rebuilding Your Broken World, Gordon MacDonald suggests questions to help develop accountability and invite feedback. If we desire to grow, we should submit ourselves to a spiritual mentor and answer these questions honestly. 1. How is your relationship with God right now? 2. What have you read in the Bible in the past week? 3. What has God said to you in this reading? 4. Where do you find yourself resisting Him these days? 5. What specific things are you praying for in regard to yourself? 6. What are the specific tasks facing you right now that you consider incomplete? 7. What habits intimidate you? 8. What have you read in the secular press this week? 9. What general reading are you doing?

10. What have you done to play? 11. How are you doing with your spouse? Kids? 12. If I were to ask your spouse about your state of mind, state of spirit, state of energy level, what would the response be? 13. Are you sensing spiritual attacks from the enemy right now? 14. If Satan were to try to invalidate you as a person or as a servant of the Lord, how might he do it? 15. What is the state of your sexual perspective? Tempted? Dealing with fantasies? Entertainment? 16. Where are you financially right now? (things under control? under anxiety? in great debt?) 17. Are there any unresolved conflicts in your circle of relationships right now? 18. When was the last time you spent time with a good friend of your own gender? 19. What kind of time have you spent with anyone who is a non-Christian this month? 20. What challenges do you think you’re going to face in the coming week? Month? 21. What would you say are your fears at this present time? 22. Are you sleeping well? 23. What three things are you most thankful for? 24. Do you like yourself at this point in your pilgrimage? 25. What are your greatest confusions about your relationship with God? Leading the Way by Paul Borthwick, Navpress, 1989, pp. 171-172

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My greatest thought is my accountability to God. - Daniel Webster