Accountability... what is it?

Hey gals! This has been a crazy last couple of weeks. Between training (1 week) and family vacation (1 week) I haven't had much of a chance to blog! Besides that though, what does accountability mean? In our church circles we often hear of accountability, but sadly it is not often done. Some girls do a wonderful job of keeping each other accountable, but I personally have found it hard to do. Before we get to how you can do it effectively lets talk about why it should even be done. Why should you have an accountability partner? Here are a few reasons....

~Accountability partners (AP) are people who can ask you honest questions.
~ AP call you out when they see you doing something you should not do.
.~AP are people who you can share your hardest temptations with.
~AP hold you accountable in the hard things.

So, now that you know how an AP can help how can you get one? It sounds easy, but the truth is it can be hard to find a true friend that you can feel safe enough to share everything with. First off, PRAY! Do not trust just anyone... that will only cause you to get hurt and resist ever wanting to be vulnerable again. So pray and ask God who He would have you to be AP with. The cool part about is they will most likely also be looking for an AP and so God's plan is always perfect! We just have to follow it. Then comes the hard part.. You have to be vulnerable. You have to tell them what you struggle with and what you need help with. I'm not saying air all your dirty laundry in the first 5 minutes, but you do have to be willing to let down your shield and be real. I can almost promise you that your AP will not think you are terrible, beyond loving, or disgusting. They also have hidden secrets that they fear you will disown them for. So bite the bullet and be real.

Now that you have an AP is that enough? Not merely.... I've seen many girls become AP during camp week and then as soon as they get home nothing changes. So how can you get it to stick? COMMUNICATE! You will have to work hard to keep the lines of communication open. Whether it be a txt every couple of days to say, "How's your quiet time going?" or if you talk on the phone call and ask them how life's going. The thing is though that you have to ask the hard questions... the ones that may be awkward, hard, or just uncomfortable. Any friend can ask the easy questions, but an AP is called to ask the hard questions. If you go over a week without talking you guys need to work on communication. Of course there will be times when you are out of town or something, but on average you need to talk at least a couple times a week whether it be txting, FB, e-mail, a phone call, letter, or hanging out. Another job of an AP is to encourage. Anyone can encourage, but an AP knows their partners weaknesses,  hurts, fears, and failures. They know exactly when their partner needs encouragement.

With all this said, I encourage you to find an AP! I promise you it will help you grow closer to God!

With love,
JEN