Matthew 12:37 (ESV)
for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Accountability means answering to somebody, being responsible or obliged to reporting to someone else. It means to give an account of yourself-where you’ve been, what you’ve done or are doing, what you’ve said and your motives. It also means that the one holding you accountable has the freedom to ask for an account of the other’s actions.
By thy words (and your actions) thou shalt be justified— Every idle word i.e., every idle word that expresses the true inward character of a man will pronounce judgment upon him. That is, the whole tenor of your conversation will be evidence for or against you, on the last day. There are so many who count words for nothing! and yet eternity often depends on them.
Most of us don’t like to be fully accountable because we feel that it puts too many restrictions on us: it also may force us to open up dark corners of our lives we’d prefer to keep hidden but real accountability keeps us honest, open and on the right path. It’s not always comfortable but very necessary.
We give reports and records of our actions in every area of our lives… such as at work, school, finance, family, business and especially in ministry. The Lord expects us to be accountable to Him in every area of our lives, but we must start here on earth by first giving account to someone to help keep us on the straight and narrow.
It doesn’t matter what level you’re operating from; you still need to be accountable for what you do or say. In 1 Samuel 13:11-14, King Saul showed us that having someone to hold us accountable is worthless if we don’t follow their advice. Saul had a wise and godly man, Samuel to hold him accountable but he got tired of listening to Samuel’s advice, he wanted to do things his way, like a lot of us, do. Do you find yourself seeking advice from others but rarely following it? For accountability to work, you need to accept negative feedback and be willing to change.
Accountability sets up a structure whereby we must answer to someone to ensure proper behaviour. Are there areas in your life that you’re secretly struggling with? There are so many struggling with alcohol, pornography, eating disorders and many more, yet are trying but cannot find a way out of it. God’s word is designed to keep us accountable. It describes God’s expectations for His people.
Read the Bible regularly, and let it hold you accountable according to psalm 119:9, which is the resource book for right living. Psalm 141:3 is a prayer we should pray daily: Lord put a watch before the door of my lips!
We hold employees accountable for their work duties, while parents often do a poorer job of holding their children accountable for their actions. In a deeper sense, God holds us accountable for all we do on earth whether as believers or non-believer. He sees all and knows all; nothing is hidden from Him. Everything we do openly and secretly, good or bad is visible to the Lord and one day we will have to give an account of all we’ve done and said on judgment day.
Shalom