Accountability
Yesterday I was talking to my Mom. School has started and I was looking back to the summer and thinking just how great this summer was. Somehow all the projects for school that I wanted to start working at were postponed, the professors were not available and it took a while to realize that God wanted my time be spent with Him, at least for a couple of months. I'm very thankful that God is sometimes so clear on what He wants from us and from our time because I'm very stubborn. But I cannot think of a more wonderful way I could have spent my summer.
As I was talking to my Mom, I told her I feel so much stronger now in the LORD than a few months ago. I feel much stronger in keeping my mouth shut (hardest thing!), in having a discipline of prayer and reading the Bible, in facing temptations, etc. This is a true blessing that I cannot praise God enough for. I'm so happy I have eternity to do that! Anyway, my Mom asked me what happened. I knew it was because I've been reading the Bible and praying, but I felt there was more. There was something that made God's grace real for me and made my heart fully accept it, but couldn't explain what it was.
This morning I was reading the transcripts of one of John MacArthur's sermons from one of his series called "The Bible driven Church", based on a 1 Thessalonians 5:12-20. The sermon was about the sheep's responsibility. Somehow he started with his responsibility as a shepherd, and was talking about the 10 reasons why he is a pastor and shepherd. His reason #6 was accountability and right there I got the answer I had been looking for. This is what he was saying :
"Sixthly, I am also accountable to the people in my church. Not only am I accountable to God for the people in my church but I'm accountable to the people in my church for being faithful to God. Everything is exposed to you. After nearly 20...nearly 22 years I'll be twenty second anniversary February 9, but in all of these years it's all out there for you to see. Everything is exposed there. My wife, my children, my family life, my personal strengths, my personal weaknesses, the things I love, the things I hate, a style of life I live, it's all there and I cherish that accountability. You say why? Because it holds me...it holds me where I need to be held. It's a constant encouragement for me to reflect Christ in everything I say and do because that's the only way I can under gird a message. People can listen to me on the radio, they don't have any idea how I love. They can listen to a tape, they can read a book, they have no idea of what my life is like. But you do and I know you do and that kind of accountability is very very good for me."
I think this is amazing. Because whenever I do something stupid I feel horrible towards God, but I can't even start to think about sharing it with other people. Actually this summer I kind of tried to start thinking about it. And God was there for me and encouraged me and showed me how much it helps! I knew accountability was very important, but I realized that only I when we actually exercise it can it become powerful. And it is so powerful! It's very easy for me to think about an environment where people gossip and I know just how harmful that is for a group and especially for a church. This is the exact opposite and I think it's the strongest thing God uses to build people up (it was the strongest thing for me).
There’s also something else that built me up and it was the reason why I started reading the transcript in the first place. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing”. As I’ve been trying to do that lately with my Christian friends, I found that God encouraged me 10 times more. Praying for people helps, but when that is combined with encouraging them the effect is just so strong. So it has been a very encouraging summer and the thought that this is just the beginning gives me the greatest joy.
Currently listening: Mahler - Symphony #1
As I was talking to my Mom, I told her I feel so much stronger now in the LORD than a few months ago. I feel much stronger in keeping my mouth shut (hardest thing!), in having a discipline of prayer and reading the Bible, in facing temptations, etc. This is a true blessing that I cannot praise God enough for. I'm so happy I have eternity to do that! Anyway, my Mom asked me what happened. I knew it was because I've been reading the Bible and praying, but I felt there was more. There was something that made God's grace real for me and made my heart fully accept it, but couldn't explain what it was.
This morning I was reading the transcripts of one of John MacArthur's sermons from one of his series called "The Bible driven Church", based on a 1 Thessalonians 5:12-20. The sermon was about the sheep's responsibility. Somehow he started with his responsibility as a shepherd, and was talking about the 10 reasons why he is a pastor and shepherd. His reason #6 was accountability and right there I got the answer I had been looking for. This is what he was saying :
"Sixthly, I am also accountable to the people in my church. Not only am I accountable to God for the people in my church but I'm accountable to the people in my church for being faithful to God. Everything is exposed to you. After nearly 20...nearly 22 years I'll be twenty second anniversary February 9, but in all of these years it's all out there for you to see. Everything is exposed there. My wife, my children, my family life, my personal strengths, my personal weaknesses, the things I love, the things I hate, a style of life I live, it's all there and I cherish that accountability. You say why? Because it holds me...it holds me where I need to be held. It's a constant encouragement for me to reflect Christ in everything I say and do because that's the only way I can under gird a message. People can listen to me on the radio, they don't have any idea how I love. They can listen to a tape, they can read a book, they have no idea of what my life is like. But you do and I know you do and that kind of accountability is very very good for me."
I think this is amazing. Because whenever I do something stupid I feel horrible towards God, but I can't even start to think about sharing it with other people. Actually this summer I kind of tried to start thinking about it. And God was there for me and encouraged me and showed me how much it helps! I knew accountability was very important, but I realized that only I when we actually exercise it can it become powerful. And it is so powerful! It's very easy for me to think about an environment where people gossip and I know just how harmful that is for a group and especially for a church. This is the exact opposite and I think it's the strongest thing God uses to build people up (it was the strongest thing for me).
There’s also something else that built me up and it was the reason why I started reading the transcript in the first place. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing”. As I’ve been trying to do that lately with my Christian friends, I found that God encouraged me 10 times more. Praying for people helps, but when that is combined with encouraging them the effect is just so strong. So it has been a very encouraging summer and the thought that this is just the beginning gives me the greatest joy.
Currently listening: Mahler - Symphony #1
posted by Monica | 8:01 AM
|
0 comments
