Living in Harmony - August 2018

Post date: Aug 14, 2018 12:39:04 AM

June's blog discussed practical ways to Live in Harmony with one another through our email correspondence—taking personal responsibility for our own contributions that promote harmony. We shared Paul’s closing words from 2 Corinthians 13:11—

Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

This month we want to consider another practical discipline that seeks to continue this theme of taking personal responsibility for our own actions—accountability.

If you don’t like the term “accountability”—think of it in terms of “spiritual friendship”. For the sake of this blog, I’m going to use the term “accountability” because it implies an intentional pursuit of spiritual growth. Accountability not only helps us be intentional in our desire to grow to maturity, it also provides encouragement in our spiritual growth and development.

Some of us have set up formal accountability, others do it more haphazardly, while still others may not have ever considered it.

A few others may say, “I don’t need to be accountable to another person. I’m accountable to God.”

Some may see accountability as a crutch that they shouldn’t need. Because after all, if God can change my heart, then He can certainly do so without involving other people!

For still others, accountability is a last resort. I’ll do it on my own for a while—because surely I can change through sheer grit and determination—and if that doesn’t work, then I’ll join an accountability group.

But what if accountability wasn’t meant to be treated as monitoring another’s behavior, as a needless crutch, or as a last resort? What if it was meant to be viewed as a lifestyle? After all, God created us to be in community—in community with Him and with one another as we bear His image and reflect His character. Accountability helps us live in such a way that seeks to honor God and others throughout the course of our lives, not just a season of our lives.

In his book, Whiter Than Snow, Meditations on Sin and Mercy, author Paul Tripp writes,

“We weren’t created to be independent, autonomous, or self-sufficient. We were made to live in a humble, worshipful, and loving dependency upon God and in a loving and humble interdependency with others. Our lives were designed to be community projects. Yet, the foolishness of sin tells us that we have all that we need within ourselves. So we settle for relationships that never go beneath the casual. We defend ourselves when the people around us point out a weakness or a wrong. We hold our struggles within, not taking advantage of the resources God has given us.” (P. 147).

The truth is, we simply can’t function without each other. Oh, in certain arenas, we try! But we weren’t created to live in our own self-sufficiency.

In June we briefly touched on the Body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12) and how we contribute to one another through the expression of our spiritual gifts. But the Body of Christ is more than a place to use our gifts. It’s a community that God gave us in which to grow and mature in our reflection of His character and His ways.

This is a lifelong journey we’re on – and Christ-centered, gospel-oriented relationships are crucial to our perseverance and growth. We are one of the resources that God has given us – so that we may walk alongside, encourage and spur one another on in the faith.

One of those “one another” verses is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Encourage one another and build each other up just as in fact you are doing” (NIV).

In the original Greek, the word “encourage” is parakaleo and refers to a variety of purposeful conversations: instructing, comforting, teaching, admonishing, rebuking, warning, urging, begging, consoling, strengthening—any timely words your friend needs to hear to strengthen his or her heart.

The New Testament uses the phrase “one another” many times – to help us see what our friendships are supposed to look like within the Body of Christ.

Without using your Bible or smart phone, create a list of “one another” verses. Include Scripture references for bonus points.

How well did you do? Now, how many of those are you living out?

The practice of accountability helps us to actively pursue a life of living out the “one anothers” of Scripture. It can be an encouraging time as we see in Hebrews 10:24-25 –

Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing, because we need each other! In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.

Accountability can also be really hard at times. Why? Because, honestly? We just don’t like being told we’re wrong, or that we have a blind spot – those areas of growth that we’re just not aware of. This is the hard part of accountability—and it’s sometimes painful. But, no pain, no gain. Or as my son likes to say, “Pain is gain”.

Scripture gives a vivid picture of this painful side of accountability in Proverbs 27:17 –

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

In the end, it is for our benefit AND for the benefit of the Kingdom, that we grow to maturity. And who better to address it than a friend?

As we consider the practice of accountability, let’s be willing to engage in the good and the hard of it. Let’s allow God to refine and strengthen us through confession, prayer and encouragement as we allow the Gospel to define who we are and who we are called to be as His children.

Ultimately, accountability is a deeper reflection of “loving one another” as the Body of Christ. It’s a key part of living in community. It helps us grow in our pursuit to live in harmony – with God and with one another.

Together, may we be a people who live out the truth, love and grace of God’s Word in every facet of our lives.

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love. —2 John 1:3, NLT