My wife and I took a ride the other day to purchase a load of wood. Our journey took us eastward through the "foothills" area of the north Georgia mountains. Once past the multi-lane congestion of Atlanta, we wound our way through the picturesque countryside on the way to our destination. It was a beautiful early Fall day. The destination turned out to be a workshop full of some prime hardwood which was being sold in preparation for closing out the shop. The owner, a very pleasant and industrious young man was preparing to pursue missionary work in Africa in a few months. He patiently took the time to let us look through his wood supply and make our selections....
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...
