Click here to download audio of today’s weblog Download 1013_podcast.mp3

Last week I had began to write on mentoring and got sidetracked, so  I want to come back to it and finish off the week on this subject.
America is probably the best and worst place to maintain an accountable relationship with a mentor.  It is the best place because we live in a free nation.  There are no laws, no totalitarian government, or any real obstacles to keep me from being accountable to someone.  We are free in America to pursue to our hearts content.

On the other hand, America is probably one of the worst places for accountable mentoring relationships because of the prevalent individualistic nature of society.  We come home from work and we shut ourselves up in our houses.  There is too much of the my way or no way mindset in the church.  A pastor can preach on accountability to those who have spiritual oversight and the congregation will agree.  Ask them to account for themselves in even the slightest manner and a wall goes up immediately.  The point is we have no problem being accountable to God and no trouble believing accountability and submission to those over us is the doctrinally correct thing to do, but because the individualistic mentality of our culture has permeated the church, accountability does not agree with our personal taste buds. 

Mentoring almost always involves a degree of accountability.  Most individuals have no difficulty being accountable to God.  Today is a pastor or a elder board called a fellow Christians actions into account, it would not be far fetched to hear something that goes like this, ”Who do you think you are?  I don’t have to account to you for one thing.  I will answer to God and God alone!”  Even though in this case it is used as a smoke screen for selfish behavior, it still illustrates that people have no problem answering to God.

One of the reasons they say that with such ease is because they are not standing before the throne of God.  They appeal to God knowing that he is not going to come out of the clouds and stand right smack in front of them saying, “Now what were you saying?”  Sensible Christians truly do understand the concept of answering to God.  They know that just because he is not in front of them in a literal, physical body, he nonetheless hears their words and watches their behavior.  Hebrews 4:13 states, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”  There are numerous passages of God knowing and seeing all things. 

Not only does he see, hear, and know all things, but he is also keeping track so he can reward individuals appropriately.  In light of this most Christians in varying degrees recognize and agree with Romans 14:12, “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”  Since he is God, the perfect Creator and Sustainer of life, he has every right to judge our thoughts and actions.  It’s when we bring the concept down into the personal realm with the choices and decisions of everyday living, that many give resistance.  We hate having to be accountable to another human being.  Someone in this life who will hold us accountable for what we do or say.  Accountability is fine if the person on the rung below us is accountable to us.  It is when we have to be accountable that a problem arises.

The reason people do not want to be accountable is that they know they will not be able to slide by anymore.  They will have to really think and work hard at doing what is right.  Accountability is definitely difficult, but it keeps you true and sharpens you and makes you a better individual for the kingdom of God.  The hardest part is accepting that through the will of man.  It is something your mind and will must decide to do and that is  one of the hardest aspects of accountability.  Becoming better people for the kingdom of God is really what we want to do and what we want to be.  Jesus never promised that it would be a piece of cake or that it would be an easy road.  Accountability is difficult in our culture, but is absolutely healthy and worth pursuing.