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Exclusive Intelligence Examiner Report
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When Did Accountability Become Bad?
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“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
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“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
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No person wants to be rebuked for their errors. Especially one who has good intentions but stumbles and falls. However, we are human and are bound to fail from time to time.
It is imperative to “own” our mistakes, learn from them, and ask forgiveness from those we have harmed. Merriam-Webster online defines accountability as “an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions.”
It is much too easy to come up with excuses or try to hide our shortcomings. We have all struggled against sin, issues out of our control, and temptation. The objective is to recognize the problem and provide a solution.
When this author was starting a career in the automotive machine shop business, a very wise shop foreman explained, “There are no problems. There are only solutions.” These wise words have been repeated often to others I have encountered on my pathway.
In our biblical life, the Apostle Paul explains this succinctly in Galatians 6:1-5:
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“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.”
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Children should be taught accountability in the home. This can include the completion of homework from school and chores around the house. By imparting responsibility upon the little ones, we are setting a guide for them to be successful the rest of their life.
For young adults, it would include setting the alarm to insure you get to class on time every day. For those in the workforce, the same holds true. So when your teacher or boss explains that it wasn’t the traffic that made you late, do not blame them. Own your mistake and make amends by avoiding this situation.
Too many are taken aback by those who rebuke them. It is too easy to walk away, blaming the problem on someone else and avoiding any responsibility. This narcissistic attitude is part and parcel with our current culture.
Today, our failure as a nation rests solely on the lack of accountability—whether it be in politics, the workplace, or in our own neighborhoods and homes. It appears to have become commonplace to lay the blame for failure at the feet of others.
Recently, a young man was pulled over by police in Chicago for not wearing a seat belt. He brandished a gun and discharged it eleven times at the officers. Subsequently, the police returned fire and the young man died.
His mother appeared at a press conference bemoaning the fact that her child was deceased. One comment uttered was why was he pulled over for not wearing the seat belt? Is it not the law that drivers are required to wear one?
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Mom and sister of Dexter Reed, bemoan how her poor son, who fired first at police, could have been so “unjustly” killed. Reed was facing several gun-related charges when he was killed.
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Nary a word was said about this young man having been a career criminal, nor the fact that it was illegal for him to possess a firearm in the first place. Liberal media outlets were quick to proclaim that a black man had been shot at over ninety times in under a minute by police.
This scenario can play out in any town across America today. The lack of accountability for one’s actions is endemic of our nation’s problems. Will this issue be rectified any time soon? Sadly, until parents become parents—both the mother and the father—this situation will continue to spiral out of control.
Likewise, many of our politicians—who demand our subservience to them—are not worthy in that they are only concerned with their place in the current hierarchy. Instead of being accountable for their voting record and backroom dealings, they choose to amend bills to include “pork spending” for their home district. To assuage their voters disgust, they are, for all intents and purposes, trying to bribe their constituents.
Many lukewarm pastors claim we are to obey these masters and will quote Romans 13:1-3. These same people will shout from the rooftops that we “should not judge lest we be judged.” Almost without fail, the last part of that phrase is never uttered.
The foundation of accountability must be truth telling. In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus tells His disciples:
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“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
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If we are to repair the failings of this nation, we must begin with holding ourselves accountable for all of our actions. Will missteps be taken along the way? Obviously, but recognizing these errors, finding and working out a solution to them are imperative.
Attempting to hide from responsibility should not be a normal action. Uncomfortable as it may be, confession can be therapeutic.
The book of Proverbs clearly shows us how to live life wisely. In Proverbs 16:16-22 we find wise counsel:
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“How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.”
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We have all heard the phrase, “ride goeth before a fall.” We all want to believe we are right. How many can honestly admit that their pride has never entered into a situation?
The poet Alexander Pope gave us the phrase, “To err is human.” Paul, in Ephesians 4:32, said, “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
We are all sinners. We are all accountable to God. Accountability and responsibility must be a part of our foundation for living a biblical life. Ultimately, we will all face the throne of judgment. Forgiveness is divine. 
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