Friendship and Accountability

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.

Okay, so you’ve thought about your friendships a bit. Now, lets get into what purity has to do with your friendships. You can’t always count on Soul Asylum or church to challenge you on all of the things that go on in your life…..even though they are very important for your growth, changing, and maturity. There are many places that you can find accountability people. Church leaders, youth leaders, parents and other adults in your life that you trust. But, we are looking at accountability in the confines of friends because there just seems to be no one around that knows you better then your close friends, right. They often know what’s going on in your life better then even your family. You guys need those people in your life that you can talk to about everything and anything. You need that support and you need that honest accountability. Someone who knows and sees your ups and downs and can call you out when you’re being an idiot.

So, lets take a look at accountability within your friendships. When you’re having issues in your life dealing with purity, I tell ya, there is nothing better then having a friend that you can talk to about what you are struggling with and then have that certain someone challenge you to change. It is a cool thing to be able to have someone in your life to call you out when you are stumbling through an issue. In the Bible Paul even had someone in his life to keep him accountable named Barnabus:

“(2) Paul and Barnabus. Paul had a Barnabus (a son of encouragement) with whom he could identify. Paul could go to him with problems and discouragement. He was someone with whom he could pray, or from whom he could get counsel, guidance, and encouragement. He was someone to give another viewpoint or perspective. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” -http://bible.org/seriespage/mark-16-accountability

When struggling with things like purity, it can be tough to make boundaries…or even see that you need boundaries. I tell ya, it is so easy to justify some sins in your life especially those sins that are okayed by the rest of the world. It is a slippery slope that leads to a lot of heartache and a lot more problems to struggle with later. SO….how awesome would it be to have someone who is in your life that knows the slope you are on so that when they see you sliding down they can grab you and pull you up before it gets too messy?

I challenge you to have at least one person in your life, someone that you trust a lot, that can do that for you. Someone who, out of love and friendship, can say “hey, you really need to slow down…” or say whatever it is you need to hear. It is a gift of a relationship that can help you in many situations.

Now, I recommend that this person is someone of the same sex. It’s really just a matter of guys understand guy issues better, and girls understand girl issues better. You can talk to someone of the opposite sex about struggles you are having…I’m not saying you shouldn’t. But, in most cases, it is far more effective to keep accountable to someone of the same sex.

So, now, as you are thinking of you would like to have this accountability shin dig with, consider their lifestyle: would they direct on the right path? Would they keep you accountable to the right things? Do you trust them? Would you be able to keep them accountable back?

So that’s a quick look at accountability. The rest of this week we will be unpacking one MAJOR part of accountability. The biggest part as far as I’m concerned. For me, it’s one of the hardest parts of any relationship. And that, my friends, is confrontation.

I pray that all of you find someone here on earth to keep accountable to. Whether it is a friend or a leader or whoever else. You pray about it too.