Keith Radke joined me this month on the Lose Yourself Podcast, and we discussed the acronym R.E.A.L. – Relationships, Example, Accountability, and Leadership. The Wednesday blog post will look at each of these attributes individually this month. Today we continue with the A for Accountability.
Accountability:
an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. – Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Christian celebrity often gives way to scandal if the person in question is not grounded in a support system. Headlines frequently report high-profile leaders stepping away from their respective roles for indiscretions, in-fighting, and burnout. The Christian community grieves each loss and frequently asks the question, “Why?” Some leaders question whether there something they could have done to help. Today’s blog discusses the need for Christian accountability and how what appears to most as limiting restrictions can actually be liberating to the leader.
Doesn’t Accountability Hinder My Freedom and Performance?
Tim Keller observed that the ancient view of freedom differed from that of the Enlightenment. Where modern and postmodern leaders see freedom as the absence of restrictions, the ancient world sought the right restrictions to gain freedom. Accountability not only does not contradict freedom, but it is also a necessary ingredient to unleash one’s potential without compromise or self-destructive behavior.
How can Accountability help?
Surrounding yourself with people who can look out for you and give you wise counsel helps to discern appropriate behavior and pursue the right endeavors. In recent years, 1 Peter 5:8-9 describes the devil as a roaring lion who seeks to devour its prey. Well-meaning leaders fall into temptations or make careless mistakes when they underestimate opposition and fail to surround themselves with the right people. Accountability is not always stated in the negative sense, it can also be related to positivity. We are to bear each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and encourage each other (1 Thessalonians 5: 10-11). While correction is a necessary part of accountability, leading by example, “pace-setting” with those whom you respect, and encouraging others in their pursuit of excellence also keep people headed in the right direction.
Why Should I Be Accountable?
First of all, we are accountable to God. Ecclesiastes 12:14 and Matthew 12:36 reminds us that God will bring every act to judgment. Furthermore, we are to be good examples to those with whom we interact. Matthew 5:16 and Ephesians 5:15-16 encourages us to behave wisely in public and “Let our light shine.” The accountable life points to something greater than ourselves. A life in pursuit of selfishness leads to destruction, but a life that pursues Christ leads to purpose and fulfillment.
