Buddy up! (2)

When reading the New Testament we see over and over how Paul and the other apostles went around encouraging the believers (Check out Acts 14:22; 15:36, and 16:40). All of the letters Paul wrote to the churches encouraged them in some form. At times he rebuked them for stuff they were doing badly... but he always spurred them on, too. When we see our friend doing something that's bad for them (or for other people), we shouldn't approach them with condemnation, but with concern and love. Accountability is about looking out for someone, which is not the same as constantly getting at them or putting them down.

It's great to keep people accountable. But it's more important that people are comfortable talking to us.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when someone asks us to keep them accountable. (1) Don't overstep our boundaries. We don't run their life. We're only trying to be an encouragement and a reminder of what they're heading toward. (2) Don't tell others what we've been told. Gossip isn't cool. Especially not when someone trusts us and shares their struggles. There's a reason they chose not to tell everyone. Keeping their wellbeing at heart will make us a fantastic accountability partner.



So what now? Did you go find an accountability partner as was suggested yesterday? If not, think about who you could buddy up with, and get the diary out to book the first chat.



— SCRIPTURE —

'Encourage one another and build each other up.' 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV
— SOULFOOD —

1 Ki 6-7, Luke 11:14-28, Ps 40:1-8, Pro 6:1-5