Thursday, August 27, 2009

Accountability

Emmanuel Baptist’s Accountability group program.

Okay, I know that the title threw you a curve ball. I am not a proponent of adding programs. However, I am quite amazed how complicated our brethren in other congregations are making the biblical mandates.

Instead of having an Accountability group, what happened to having godly friends? You see, God already gave us an accountability group. He simply calls them brothers and sisters in Christ. We assemble with them each week. We don’t have to meet on every 1st and 3rd Thursday in order to be held accountable, but rather, we meet weekly, on the Lord’s Day, and rejoice to see one another there. We check on each other during the week. We email, tweet, (if you tweet), call, write, (I still use envelopes and stamps, yes I am a dinosaur) and hopefully visit, every week.
Something “holy” has been attached to various programs as simple, godly principles are renamed into complicated programs that require a director with a spreadsheet to keep everyone in their places. One writer stated, “What we have is a joyful commitment to the practice of hospitality. We invite folks into our homes, and we visit the homes of others. There are no rules for this. We don’t have a dinner coordinator that makes each family play musical chairs with each other family, all while carrying around a casserole if your last name begins with A through G, and a dessert if R through Z. Instead we share table fellowship freely and happily.” I hope that describes us at Emmanuel.

Certainly, we have organized monthly family fun events…but then again, that is merely my attempt to rename organized communion among believers. It is simply a “get-together” where your children play with my children, and I get to visit with some godly dad’s and my wife visits with your wives. As well, Young men aspiring to be husbands, all the while, watching godly husbands lead their wives in a public setting and learning. Young women, busy with the married ladies, learning what a Titus 2 woman is really all about.

A dear brother and close friend called me the other day explaining that he thought I needed to counsel someone, and that he was no counselor. I reminded him that every time we open our mouths, we become counselors. We become agents for good or evil. We become the minions of hell, or the messengers of heaven. No one is immune to the title of “counselor” because that is what we do. Others watch, or listen to our conversations and become recipients of our information. Then they make decisions based on that information. Every time we have a get-together, we are further embracing the truth that iron sharpens iron. Or we are tearing down lives.

Let us live more simply. Let our fellowships be more spontaneous. Let our organized times be more glorifying to God.

Live simply. Live Godly.

3 comments:

David McCrory said...

Good words. Encouraging words. I especially like the end about how informal occasions make for great fellowship, while our formal times together should be more for worship. God bless you brother!

Frogblogger said...

Wonderful. Amen!

Joshua James said...

Great reminder, thanks. If we ever err I hope it is one the side of simplicity and holiness!