Dan Cheatham 10-2-2014: A Beautiful Thing!

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A BEAUTIFUL THING!

Accountability is a Beautiful Thing!

Each of us, one person at a time, will stand before God and give an account for our attitudes and actions in this life!

Romans 14:12 (KJV) - So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.  

I don't consider myself an expert counselor, but as a pastor over the years I have learned a few keys to helping people get free from besetting sins and things that sorely tempt them or trip them up over and over again. A simple yet beautiful thing called ACCOUNTABILITY is often the missing key to their deliverance.

Some temptations may never be overcome unless we initiate accountability to some person we trust. This is because certain besetting sins are so engrained in our behavior over many years, that we need someone in addition to God, someone with SKIN ON... to hold us accountable! Like a boss at work that holds our feet to the fire, we may need someone who can compassionately yet firmly INSIST on our obedience to God... someone it's hard to lie to! Someone who can confront us yet comfort us! A person who can BE REAL with us yet BELIEVE in us at the same time. A coach, if you will, who chooses to loves us too much to leave us like we are today!

Often by exposing our personal weaknesses and vulnerability to another trusted person, the pull of any temptation is automatically and easily defeated.  When temptation and sin get out in the open and out of secrecy, the lure factor loses its power! When light exposes darkness for what it really is, sin doesn't look so good after all!  It's power is diffused like popping a balloon! (This doesn't mean you should share your sins with everyone or indiscriminately with just anyone, but often you need at least one or two confidential accountability partners.)

It's the SECRECY of sin that holds us captive!

Sin always enters the scene with a smile on! (Mike Murdock)

It is the beauty of sin that deceives us! (Mike Murdock)

A MORE BEAUTIFUL THING, ACCOUNTABILITY IS!

Everyone struggles with SIN! Everyone!   Everyone has a sin problem from time to time... even the most mature Christian you could imagine or name.  Stop hiding it and let the BLOOD OF JESUS combined with accountability to another (as necessary) CRUSH your weakness and propensity for something unhealthy or evil.

Be accountable to your husband or wife!

Be accountable to a spiritual leader!

Be accountable to a fellow believer! (But choose wisely.)

Be accountable to a professional counselor or life coach, or a more seasoned father-figure or mother-figure.

Stop fooling yourself!  Stop lying to yourself!  You have areas of your life where you are weak and vulnerable!  No one is a SPIRITUAL GIANT except Him who sits on The Throne: Jesus!

A MORE BEAUTIFUL THING: ACCOUNTABILITY

Get real!

Get honest!

Get right with God!

Get right with God again!

There isn't any letting up!  We are in hand to hand combat until Jesus comes back or we graduate to glory!  Thank God, there will be seasons of refreshing and peace here on earth but indeed we will find ourselves back in battle again.  Good news is that I've read the end of The Book and it declares "WE WIN!"  Glory!

Blessedness for Now! - Blissfulness in Glory!  (Be optimistic - but realistic too!). You can be EXTREMELY BLESSED of God here on earth, but you are still on this fallen earth.

Quit being unrealistic:  There is no such thing as the Perfect Christian Walk here on earth. No such thing as the Perfect Marriage either! There is no such thing as the Perfect Ministry here on earth!  There is no such thing as the Perfect Church or the Perfect Pastor here on earth.  There is no such thing as a Perfect Job or Career.  There is no such thing as a Perfect Family!  (The truth be told, ALL families are at least a little dysfunctional! LOL!). There is no such thing as a Perfect Relationship or Friendship with anyone until we get to Heaven.  Friendships will inevitably be tested at some point. There is no such thing as a Perfect Geographic Location to live or work! Ditch the unrealistic expectations so you can enjoy life, and so that you can extract the maximum pleasure out of TODAY, not just later.

A BEAUTIFUL THING: ACCOUNTABILITY!