Who holds you accountable?

“You have done something wrong“.  When someone tells you that,…….. well, it depends on who that someone is as to whether you become defensive, mad, or at least willing to listen.

When someone calls you out on something that you’ve done wrong, it’s hard to accept.  Especially when you take matters into your own hands, are an independent person able to make his/her own decisions, and basically think that you know all there is to know about the situation.  That would be me,……. and you,….. and people in general.  We are able to justify at the drop of a hat why we are doing what is now being told to us is wrong.

Brett D. is my CPA, my accountant.  He keeps me organized and helps me with paperwork.  He knows all the forms that must be filed.  He completes all the reports needed to back up any and all transactions in my business world.  He’s a cool guy.  I like being around him.  But now he’s gone too far, because he is saying I’m in the wrong.

The short version of our conversation is this.  The numbers don’t add up.  Unless I just want to pay bunches and bunches of extra taxes, (and hurt myself in the process, $$$), then I must admit I’ve made an error and correct it.  When I explain about my new computer and the new program with lots of bells and whistles that does all this neat stuff, he patiently listens.  Then he quietly asks me, “Who types in all the numbers and info?”  I say I do.  He quickly says, “well, there’s your problem.  You my friend, have made a mistake and it’s going to hurt you big time.”

I suddenly feel that awful feeling of someone else telling me I’m wrong.  It’s a kick to the gut.  I’m feeling like that 3 legged cat being jumped on by the dogs.  And, it’s probably true.  I am wrong, and it’s gonna hurt  myself unless I fix it.

Proverbs 27:17 The Message  You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.

A most difficult situation ever faced as a human is to be told (by another human) that you are wrong.  An even more difficult situation is to be a human who loves another person, who cares for them, who doesn’t want to see them get hurt, and now feels they must tell them, “you are wrong”.  Brett is my friend.  He knows me.  He is in a position where he can see my actions.  He is close enough to me that he and I both know that he holds me accountable.  It’s just that simple.

Iron sharpens iron.  Do you know of someone who can hold you accountable?  Someone who tells you what they see.  No “do it my way”, no “making you feel like dirt”, no “be like me” person.  Do you know someone who genuinely cares about your journey enough that out of love they say, “You’ve done something wrong”?  Iron sharpens iron.

Now that you are thinking about this, Are you someone who genuinely cares about someone else that you could say to them they are wrong.  And do it without being that “know it all”, “my way is better than you’re way”, “make everyone feel stupid”, “holier than thou” person that everyone hates.  It take love and concern given from above as the first step.

When you have developed an “iron sharpens iron” friendship with another Christian, you have taken another step on this Christian journey.

Brett, I’ve found my stupid mistake.  I owe you big time.  I owe you an “iron sharpens iron” friendship!  You da man!

See Ya!   Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher