Accountability Partners 101: What, Why and Where?
The other day I was trying to cross the street to go to a coffeeshop when my friend quickly pulled me back to the sidewalk because I almost got ran over.
Two very important lessons demonstrated by my near death experience:
Look both ways before crossing the street (no matter how excited you are to grab some coffee!)
Accountability partners are NECESSARY in life
What is a spiritual accountability partner?
First, lets take a look at accountability. Accountability is an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions. And an accountability partner, as demonstrated in my case above, is one that will keep you accountable for your actions. She was able to see my blind spot and quickly point it out to save me from my demise. In the same way, our spiritual accountability partners are there to point out and save us from any plans of the enemy to lead us into our demise.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”
Proverbs 27:17
Do note that spiritual accountability is different from friendship. That isn’t to say that spiritual accountability cannot be friends, but not all friends are spiritual accountability.
Why is accountability so important?
Life gets hard. But with a whole lot of Jesus and God-given people who have your back, it’s a whole lot easier.
1. Accountability partners are there for your blind spots.
There are times where I get so narrow-minded in the way I see things that I can’t find another way. It’s times like these, where I convince myself that I’m right, and my pride kicks in and I think I know better than God’s plan in my life. It’s times like this where I need my accountability partner to call me out in my blind spots. Not out of anger or to offend me, but rather to live the life fully to calling I’ve received.
2. Accountability partners are there to encourage you.
When life gets tough, the easiest thing to do is settle for your circumstance. Accountability partners are there to speak life over your situation, pray with you, and help carry you through your seasons of wilderness. Allowing God into the relationship between you and your accountability partner makes way for spiritual connections of what He’s doing to be made, even when you can’t see it.
3. Accountability partners make life better.
They do. Hands down.
Where can I find accountability partners?
You can find your accountability partners in prayer! You may be thinking - Jo, I don’t know any “spiritual” people. And it may be so. But the beauty of God is that he provides for what He calls people to do, and if you come to Him asking for the right accountability partner, He will bring you one in His time. So look to God and there you will find it.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
As always, it’s my hope and prayer that you are able to find the people God has meant for you to live life with. I pray that He will send you who you need, exactly when you do, and that your relationship with one another will do nothing but glorify Him.
xx,
Jo