James 5:16 - "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
Dude... accountability is crucial. Not just telling people about your secret sins and things like that - accountability, to me, means doing life on the buddy system. You see, accountability is more than having somebody to turn to once a sin has already caused you trouble. It's having someone[s] who will kick you in the butt before that sin ever becomes a problem.
It's having someone who's already there beside you when you first start feeling attacked.
It's having someone who will share his umbrella with you when the rain starts falling.
It's having someone who will pray for you without knowing all the details.
We can't overlook a key word in that verse, though: "The effectual fervent prayer of a RIGHTEOUS man..." Choose your partners carefully! Though it is not the main point of the passage in James chapter 5, the verse implies that when you involve someone in the restoration of your own soul, that person should be of a like mind. That person should also be fully sold out in the pursuit of a life that models Christ's love.
In other words... you don't want an "accountability partner" who will have to call you back later because he's at a party right now...
You need an accountability partner who will say, "You don't need to hang out with that crowd tonight; let's go grab some dinner." A righteous, Christ-seeking accountability partner does more than save you from falling into sin, or whatever... this guy gets you excited about Jesus. All the time.
There's plenty more to be said on the topic, but I am hungry :) Feel free to share your own advice and insights.
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