Election Day is tomorrow, and after months of endless insults and disclosure of improprieties Americans will decide who will lead our country over the next four years. This election is unprecedented in that it includes the 2 most unpopular presidential candidates in the history of our country; so the proper question would be: why are these our choices? I am not advocating for support of a third party, fourth party or any other party or person, my question is: why don't we have better and more palatable option? Is it perhaps that people are so sick of politics that no one wants to run for office anymore? Think about it, who wants to expose every part of their life...
My accountability partners have fluctuated over the years but I’m always seeking new men to add. I have to be willing to take the risk of transparency first, and although sometimes it doesn’t work out, the rewards of developing deep and trusting relationships is worth any risk. We’ve mentioned the value of starting with simple matters when we form an accountability group and growing from there as time and trust increase. We’ve also stated the importance of setting up guidelines early on which will ensure everyone involved knows what’s expected. There’s one more area worth mentioning: Many churches or organizations publish a list of “tough questions” that are beneficial to establishing an accountability group, but I don’t see them as...
In a previous post I talked about how we have to be willing to initiate transparency. Sharing our deeper hurts or struggles can be risky, but it’s the bedrock for a meaningful relationship. While doing work in the prison I didn’t ask anyone what they did wrong to get incarcerated, instead I shared my own past failures that would have or should have landed me a seat next to theirs. Transparency makes us vulnerable and sometimes others don't reciprocate. I’ve had times when others used what I shared with them against me, but as I stated before, who was the loser? If I am willing to take the risk first, then I open the door to an honest exchange...
If the last blog post titled “Should I Speak Up?” struck your interest then this one continues with the how part. What makes this form of relationship unique is that it’s based in the agape love that is exampled in the Bible. Love that cares for another and has that person's best interest in mind is the most difficult kind of love…...because it doesn’t always feel warm & fuzzy. The crux of this type of relationship is twofold: transparency and trust. Go throw those words around at a gathering and you’ll either get snickered at or clear the room; but these are not for the faint of heart. Most of us desiring some level of accountability have gotten here...
I recently posted on the topic of “How Do You Feel” , so here we’ll resume the very challenging theme of communication in our modern times. I’ve told friends repeatedly that I would rather they challenge me, and risk hurting my feelings if they see a questionable attitude or behavior; rather than remaining quiet while my life starts to stray off course. As a dear friend once put it to me, deviating off course by a degree or two isn’t a big deal unless you’re a pilot flying from NY to LA; in other words the longer you stay off course the worse things are going to be, and the more likely you’ll end up in unknown and undesirable...
