December 5

‘”Work out your own salvation.” I am responsible for doing it. It means that I have to manifest in this body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mystically, but really and emphatically.’ – OC
Accountability. As a parent, I preach this word over and over. I have come to understand what accountability means for my kids through my expectations of them. Somehow, inadvertently, I also came to understand what accountability means for me as well.
It isn’t easy being accountable. It means I have to accept the consequences of my behavior, for better or worse. It means being able to review my successes and failures in an honest context and then answering for them to those whom depend on me. Easier said than done. It is difficult to disappoint people I care about, but it is even more difficult to admit my responsibility in that disappointment.
As temples for the Holy Spirit, we are called to be accountable ALL the time. I think that this presents a greater challenge than just being accountable with others. We are accountable to others for our actions. Actions, being external in nature, represent a relatively miniscule amount of our being in comparison to our internal thoughts and struggles.
In other words, we have to be accountable to God. If we are dishonest in our internal interpretation of our daily trials, we move further from the relationship that God intends. Moreover, such dishonesty creates emotional and mental ‘baggage’ that clutters our temple. The Holy Spirit can no more move freely in a messy temple than we can navigate freely in a messy house.
Integrity is found in what we do when no one is looking.