Being The Best Father You Can Be – Accountability

Guys this is the third of a four part series in “Being The Best Father You Can Be.” Today I will be discussing a point that is hard to follow through with at times – accountability. No matter who you are, or where you go, you are always accountable to someone. Unless you want to be a total dictator of your own country somewhere, you will be held accountable for your words, actions, and dealings with others. So, let’s get on into today’s topic of accountability.

Being the Best Father - Accountability

Being the Best Father-Accountability

Accountability

Men, we have been given a great blessing when it comes to being a father.

Psalm 127:3-5

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,
children, a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons born in one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.
Such men will never be put to shame
when they speak with their enemies at the city gate.

As with all blessings, there comes accountability. Let’s look at a few areas of accountability. In Genesis Chapter 2, God placed Adam in charge of all creation. Everything was given to him with very clear instructions.

Genesis 2

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat[m] from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

Therefore when things did not work out, who was called out? Not Eve, but Adam. He was the one that was held accountable.

Genesis 3

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

Since Adam did not obey and do what God had told him, he lost out on all of creation. I know that some of you are saying, “It was not Adam that messed up everything, it was Eve. It’s her fault!” Here is reality, Adam was placed in command of all creation. Eve was created to help Adam and to be company to him. Adam was accountable for everything that Eve did, said, and everywhere she went. Just because your kids know what should be done, does not mean that they will always do what they should. Letting your kids get away with small things that you do not agree with only makes the consequences of their disobedience more sever and the accountability of the father more sever.

In 2 Samuel the prophet Nathan calls out David and holds him accountable for the killing of Uriah. This does not end well for David and his son. Have you ever thought that your lack of obedience might effect your kids? This is what happend to David and could easily happen to any of us today.

We must be careful and realize that God gave this charge in Psalm 127:3-5 regarding our children to us, the men. He did not give it to the mother, although their role is needed in carrying it out, it is ours. He did not give it to the daycare, the babysitter, the nanny, or the grandparents. Neither did he give it to the church, the school or the youth programs. It was given to you the dad, the father, the man. Therefore it will be the fathers that bear the accountability and consequences for failing to carry it out or the reward for doing so.

Why do we need accountability in our lives? Here are a few reasons. We must regularly face the truth about our attitudes and actions, and examine whether we are staying in the center of God’s will. Knowing that someone will ask about our conduct motivates us to do our best and encourages us to be good stewards of our time, talents, and resources. When we’re answerable to others, we are positioned for promotion. As those in authority review our work, they realize our potential. Accountability inspires and protects us and those we’re closest to, which makes our relationships even stronger.

Guys, accountability is necessary in every aspect of our life, starting with relationships in our family and among fellow believers. If you do not have an accountability partner, get one. Find you someone who knows you in and out, someone who will not judge you but help correct you. It is hard being accountable for everything that happens in your life, but living a life that shows that accountability will raise up a generation of others that are willing to be as accountable as their father!

Till next time,
Steve

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