We ALL need accountability.  We need someone to hold us to a higher standard.  We need that someone to be like minded and loving.  Today what I would like to share with you is how to find an accountability partner.  We do  need to set goals, but it truly helps if we have someone that walks with us and helps us meet our goals.  For some of us that person could be our husband, but for women a lot of times we need other women as an accountability partner.  I always knew I needed one, but was hesitant to get one because well, I would actually have to be accountable to someone.  The thought is a little scary.

When you are seeking an accountability partner I would encourage you to look for a  few things:

A like-minded Christian

Someone who has been through or is going through your stage of life

Someone with a real desire to study God’s Word, memorize Scripture and be willing to learn with you

I will tell you how I found an accountability partner.  It was last summer and I had just had my third child and I was getting in little or no Bible study.  I needed someone to hold me accountable.  I was trying to think of someone who was in my Sunday School class at church that could be flexible and had a willing spirit but that I did not know very well.  I see now that it was the Lord’s leading that help me choose this person but I was nervous because I did not know her well.

I just sent her an e-mail kind of in desperation and then I forgot that I sent her one.  She called me about a week and half later and said she was definitely interested in getting together.  We really had no idea what we were doing.  The one thing I knew was that she was memorizing the same set of verses I was so I thought that would be easy to incorporate.  We both had small children so we would come to each others homes and we both lived in the same county not too far apart.

We thought we would start with the basics so we stared with a 10-week study called Life Changing Doctrine (highly recommend it).  We also kept up our memorizing.  She was better at memorizing than me so she would call or e-mail me during the week to ask if I was keeping up with my verses.  She did it gently and not accusingly.

After we finished the first study we started a new study “The Power of a Praying Parent” by Stormie Omartian.  This is a 30-week study that we are currently in the middle of.

We have made a prayer journal  and we are currently working on refining our testimony so that we are more able to share that.

She also has started asking me accountability questions from a great website – Character that counts.

Proverbs 27:17 says:

Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another.

I would encourage you to begin praying now about who God would lead you to choose as an accountability partner.  You do not have to know that person well.  Do you have some tips for how you stay accountable?  Please share them with me.  Also, do not wait for someone to come to you.  Go to them – seek them out after praying about it.  Do not be discouraged if the person does not want to do this.  Accountability is a difficult thing.  Just do not give up – keep trying until you find that person that will hold you accountable.

*Photo from here