Why is accountability so important?

Malachi 1:7-8“You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

John 2:16Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

James 2:1-4My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Without accountability, even our worship of God can become corrupt.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

A person standing alone against the world is vulnerable. We need mutual support and companionship. Relying on the convictions of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of God’s Word is a powerful encouragement, but God also provides us with human support through the community of faith and Christian friendships. Interweaving our own resolve with the support of God and others creates a triple-braided cord of accountability.

Proverbs 12:15Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

Good advisers keep us from actions that can hurt us and others.

Matthew 2:16-18Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: “A cry was heard in Ramah—weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”

Lack of accountability in leadership allows leaders to make destructive decisions that are self-serving. Accountable leaders must always get significant input before making decisions that deeply affect the people under their care.

Luke 17:10“When you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

John 1:26-27John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”

When we declare our accountability to Jesus, humility and focus are easier to maintain.