Accountability

by Mike James

One of the most important biblical concepts we can develop is accountability. By accountability, I mean "subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable." There are so many examples of this in the Bible. Let's take a look at just a few to develop our understanding of this important concept.

Right from the start of the Bible, we see this important principle being played out. Adam and Eve sin, and God holds them accountable. But let us take a closer look at this incident to see a couple of major points we need to make about accountability.

First, note that right after Adam and Eve sin (Genesis 3:1-11) God calls them out about it. The first thing we need to practice around accountability is addressing the matter as soon as possible. We don't want to wait until a week has passed before we talk to our children about some wrong action they have taken. The same is true with holding people accountable in our daily lives.

Note another example in Genesis. In Genesis 4:1-7, God notices that Cain is angry and downcast due to his sacrifice not getting the favor of God that Abel's sacrifice did. Once again, we see God confronting Cain immediately after the behavior.

The first major point I want to make about accountability is it needs to happen in the moment or as close to the incident as possible.

One of the problems I've seen since moving to California is the laxness in the criminal justice system regarding certain crimes. If you don't steal anything costing more than 1,000 dollars, you may get arrested, but you won't spend much time in jail while awaiting your court date. Some believe this has led to an increase in brazen robberies in the state.

Going back to Genesis and Adam and Eve, we see another point to be made about accountability. Soon after God has a dialogue with Adam and Eve on their sin, He lays out the punishment that will now follow due to the sin (Genesis 3:14-19).

Going back to the story of Cain and Abel, we see that Cain didn't get the message when God called him out on his attitude toward his brother. Cain takes the next step and lets his attitude manifest in the murder of his brother. God immediately brings punishment for Cain's action (Genesis 4:10-12).

We learn a second major point about accountability from these two examples: There need to be consequences to truly hold someone accountable.

Going back to my California crime example, keeping someone in jail awaiting a court date might impact some people not to commit crime. Providing prison time for stealing merchandise will impact others who are thinking about it.

Perhaps the greatest biblical example of being accountable is Jesus Christ. He lived His life being completely accountable to the will and purpose the Father had for Him. One of the ways He maintained that accountability was to obey His Father's commands (John 15:10).

One of the many blessings that flow from obeying God's laws is the blessing of accountability.

According to what brain scientists are learning, the more we practice the same things over and over, the more we alter our brain's chemistry. As you read and write and think about the same kind of subject repeatedly, you create new neural pathways in your brain for whatever it is that you are learning. Over time, these new neural pathways will become more a part of you if you keep staying accountable to what you are learning. In other words, the more time you spend reading your Bible or meditating on God's laws the more it becomes a part of you.

This brings me to the third major point about accountability. It is a day-to-day and moment-by-moment thing. I believe God was tabernacling in the garden with Adam and Eve, and he was able to immediately address them because He was intimately near them. The same goes for Cain.

Much of the stealing and robbing in California likely stems from the fact that the thieves and robbers have not been held accountable by solid role models. They likely did not have a relationship with someone who could hold them accountable in their formative years. Just like the reason Christ was so accountable was His intimate connection to the Father (John 10:30).

Be accountable to Christ. Listen to His voice every moment of every day (John 10:27).