Today’s scripture: Proverbs 17:8-14 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Robert Ferguson):
After God, I am first accountable to my mother. I always know I can depend on her to tell me like it is, even if I don’t particularly feel like hearing it. I honestly feel that God uses my mom to affirm or negate whatever may surface in my life. Spiritually, I am also accountable to some Christian friends who give me sound spiritual guidance.
Any one of them can talk to me for just a few minutes and discern whether I’m walking close to the Lord or if I might just need a spiritual kick in the pants. I can really count on them to tell me when I am straying off the path, whether I ask them to do so or not.
Who holds you accountable? You need someone to whom you can pour out your deepest thoughts and heartaches. We all have blind spots, areas in our lives that hinder our spiritual growth, that we cannot see. For example, we may express anger towards others to such an extent that it borders on verbal abuse. Perhaps we feel justified in our correction of them, but another believer may help us to see that our words should be the kind to inspire and uplift. In other words, there is always a better way to handle a potentially tense situation. A third uninvolved confidante may help us to discover that way.
If we are not accountable to someone else we may never understand why people reject our advice. We must learn to accept constructive criticism ourselves. We set ourselves up for the problems in our lives that way. We have to understand the truth of the proverb: Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
I have found myself in more than one situation where I felt angry, hurt, or disappointed. My first call is always to my great friend at church. She knows me well and is quick to tell me when I have let my ego fire up my emotions. Sometimes I am ashamed and sometimes I just have a better understanding.
Thought for the day: Who do I have I can be vulnerable in front of, so that they can hold me accountable?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.