Accountability

I’m not sure where to even begin on this one. It’s been on my mind several times recently while riding though so I know it’s something I’m meant to ramble about. As with all of these ramblings, I will just write as I feel He is leading me to and we’ll see where it goes.

I was brought up to treat everyone the way I wanted to be treated and to always be open about things. I am probably a little too “open” sometimes and need a filter, but that’s me. I’m trying to be a little less direct sometimes but it’s definitely still a work in progress. Sometimes when I stop myself, the person I’m talking to will say, “Well if you thought it God already knows it so you may as well say it now.” Although this is true, there are times when things are best left just as thoughts. Not every thought needs to be spoken. On the other hand, honesty is crucial.

Sometimes it can be painful, but so can non-truths (lies) or half-truths. Sooner or later the truth will come out so it may as well be sooner. I have had to deal with a lot of people recently in many different situations that have made me realize just how much half-truths and dishonesty are common every day occurrences and to me that’s a very sad reality. Accountability and self -preservation seem to be a battle for many. Our society is so concerned with what others may think, that we often let that dictate our actions, even though inside we know better.

We may hear vague answers to avoid the reality of the truth or we may hear out and out lies. I had a recent encounter with someone whom I asked a very straight forward question in order to be able to help with a simple situation. She danced around the answer as I asked it 3 different times and I knew what the truth was by her responses, although she wouldn’t just come out and say what she’d done. It eventually wore on her conscience apparently and within an hour she came to me and told me exactly what had happened, so then I could easily remedy the situation.

I have also dealt with many people lately who have told me they were going to do this or that and I assumed they meant it, then later found out they really didn’t do what they said they were going to do. Accountability seems to be lacking more and more in my opinion. It’s become too easy to come up with excuses for why things happen, or don’t happen, and blame others or to just have the attitude of “well that’s just the way it is” or “that’s just the way I am.” Every person and every situation can have a different outcome, if we as individual people make that choice.

I happen to have a very active imagination at times, and due to certain things that have occured in my life, I also have some serious trust issues and some insecurities as well. Give me a vague answer or response, and there’s no telling where my mind will go with it, I want details. That brings up another point, because I like details, I often want to answer with details when all the other person may want is a simple yes or no. Then if I get used to answering them instead with yes or no and they now want details they have to pull it out of me. I am sometimes the most complicated person I know! Anybody else feel that way?

In many ways we are no different than people were back when Jesus was alive, and yet in other ways we are very different. Lying and deceit have been around forever and we can see the devastation it can cause yet we still do it. We can see what happens when people lie, cheat, steal and murder and yet we still have it happening. We can see how the farther we move away from God as a nation, the worse things get, yet we continue to allow it.

I’m not going to get on a soap box of what I think needs to happen except to say that God is the only answer. Only He can change us, one person at a time. When things are going bad it’s easy to blame Him. Until we accept accountability for our own actions as individuals and as a society, it will not change. God is not the one who has moved away, we have shut Him out and have not kept our relationship with Him as close and personal as we are supposed to. He has the power yes, but He has also given us free choice and there are consequences to those choices we make, individually and as a society. We may not understand the reasons things are the way they are, but He is there and it’s not up to us to understand. It’s up to us to obey, trust and believe. He never promised smooth sailing or an easy life. Jesus did not have smooth sailing or an easy life even though he never sinned, so why would we think we should?

One of my all-time favorite scriptures is Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

 

I have had to give many things in my life to Him and leave them there and I continue to do so daily. If I didn’t I would not only fail more than I do, but I would drive myself crazy trying to handle it all. He never meant for us to carry all of the burdens. He meant for us to lay them at His feet and leave them there, not pick them back up.

Psalm 55:22

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you, He will never let the righteous fall.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

The popular hymn by Joseph Scriven says it all:

What a Friend we Have in Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.