Accountability 101

Sunday March 11, 2012: Deuteronomy 16-18; Galatians 2

S: Galatians 2:2: …I went because it was specially and divinely revealed to me that I should go and I put before them Gospel [declaring to them that] which I preach among the Gentiles. However, [I presented the matter] privately before those of repute [for I wanted to make certain by thus at first confining my communication to this private conference] that I was not running or had not run in vain [guarding against being discredited either in what I was planning to do or had already done].
O: Paul went to Jerusalem and submitted himself to the wisdom of the church leaders to confirm that his interpretation of his vision and ministry was, in fact, correct.
A: Paul sought out people he considered to be full of righteousness and wisdom and sought their counsel because he wanted to make sure he was on the right track and was not running in vain. Paul sought accountability. I am blessed to have accountability people in my life. These are people that I love and respect and that I have given permission to speak into my life. They know me (sometimes better than I know myself) and they encourage me and correct me and protect me. This means, of course, that sometimes I hear things from them that I don’t want to hear. But because I know that behind their words is love I can receive the sometimes harsh truth from them. It is the truth that keeps me on the narrow path to Jesus and not getting lost in the crowd that travels the wider path to nowhere.
P: Thank you Father for those people you have put into my life to instruct me, to correct me and to teach me. Forgive me for the times I have rebelled against their teachings and help me to create an atmosphere of willingness to be corrected and guided on this path to you. Amen.