The Plank in Your Eye - Regarding Accountability Partners

Sin will ruin your life.

I don't mean you will be poor, or that you will marry the wrong person, or that you're kids will be little demon-children, or that you'll drop out of college. 

I mean this. If you have hopes of living a life worthy of Jesus telling you "Well done thou good and faithful servant" - sin will ruin those hopes. 

An Eyelash Ruins Everything

The other day I was picking up groceries at Walmart when my eye started itching terribly. My vision was extremely blurred and I couldn't stop blinking, but nothing would get rid of the terrible itch. 

Thankfully, my sister was there, and after having me look up and down while holding my eyelid up, she discovered an eyelash on my eye. After that, it didn't take long for her to help me remove it, and my vision went back to normal. 

The human eye is an incredible part of the body, perhaps the most incredible. I'm not a scientist, so I can't tell you any of the specifics of the eye, but I'm sure if I was a scientist you would be astounded at it's capabilities. 

It's interesting then, that such a small thing - an eyelash (something intended for good) - can ruin your vision. 

Specks and Planks

This got me to thinking about the Scripture passage in Luke 6. In verses 41-43, Jesus says the following:

And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye. For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 

Now, despite what you might think, this isn't all leading to my thoughts about judging people. On the contrary, it's almost the opposite.

You see, if my sister hadn't been with me in Walmart, I would have gone on fumbling around Walmart looking for a mirror to figure out what was wrong with my eye. However, since her eyes were healthy, my sister was able to help me remove the eyelash from my eye. 

This passage is not about why it's wrong to help people remove "specks" from their eyes - or sin from their life. It's about common sense. It's about why it makes absolutely no sense for someone with a plank in their eye to try to remove a speck from someone else's, and why it makes all the sense in the world to help them if you're eye is clear. 

For example, if my sister had had a big stick of wood lodged in her eye, I would have not wanted her to help me remove mine. She would have probably just hurt me worse. 

It was because her eyes were clean that I craved her help. 

Accountability Syndrome

There are a few believers left on this planet who have secrets they have never told anyone, but the majority of Christians have the opposite issue. They can't stop talking about their sin. It's become (as I've mentioned before) an addiction of it's own. 

Now are accountability partners all bad? No. Just most of them. 

I did a topical search for anything regarding "accountability" in the Bible. My search came up nearly empty. This is interesting considering how much we are hounded to find accountability partners. The passage that talks perhaps the most about accountability is the fifth chapter of James. 

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

I told my sister about the eyelash in my eye because I wasn't able to see right. So, she helped me, and the result was that I was "healed." It was a quick, simple process. 

The purpose of confession is healing. The purpose is not just telling someone about it to get it off your chest. That just results in more sin. 

Primarily, accountability in the Bible is spoken of in an encouraging aspect. 

For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 

When the Bible discusses talking about sin, it is for the sole purpose of healing. It isn't meant to be consistent.

Consistent accountability regarding sin means we are failing. 

The only kind of consistent accountability was meant to be encouragement (Eph. 4:29, Heb. 10:25,      1 Thess. 3:2, Heb. 3:13, 1 Thess. 5:14).

If you are in an accountability group where encouragement isn't the main purpose - get out.

The Goal is Seeing - Not Not-Seeing

When I had the eyelash in my eye, the goal of getting it out of my eye wasn't just so I wouldn't experience the pain. In fact, that had very little to do with it, though I do enjoy having pain-free eyes.

The ultimate goal was being able to go on living with normal vision. 

So why do we treat sin differently? Why do we treat our Christian life like the ultimate goal is to get rid of sin?

That isn't the point.

I'm screaming this at myself. God intended our lives to mean so much more. 

Remove Everyone's Specks - Go on Living

If there is sin in your life. Get rid of it. 

Cut out your eyes and tear off your arms if you have to (Matthew 5:29-30).

But the more I think about it, the more I'm not sure if it's our place to discuss someone else's sin. Now, we should definitely be encouraging them in their walk with Christ. Most certainly we should be as edifying as possible. 

But again, our purpose in life isn't to stop sinning. It's to pursue Christ. It's to love the world the way He loves us. Encourage people to do that.

I'm not condoning hiding secret sins. Why? Because we shouldn't have secret sins to tell anyone. Easier said than done? Maybe. But then again, 1 Corinthians 10:13 has something to say about that. 

Trees and Fruit

The last verse of the Luke passage I listed earlier plays a huge part in all of this. Again, it reads:

For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit (Luke 6:43).

If you want to be a good accountability partner, ask your friend what they are doing to further the kingdom of God here on earth. Why? Because if they are doing nothing, there is a good chance that either there is sin in their life - or they are not truly a follower of Christ (Matthew 21:7). 

The best way to hold others accountable is to encourage them in the good things they do, not to dwell on the bad. It's psychologically proven that positive encouragement is the most...encouraging. 

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. 

The Bible talks incredibly much about how to serve Christ. It talks extremely little about talking about sin. And it talks a lot about how Christ has freed us from sin. 

Now I'm no Theology professor, but when the Bible talks tons about one things, and virtually zilch about another, I'm guessing the prior is more important. 

Accountability isn't about prying around in someone's personal life. It's about being good enough friends that you notice when something is wrong, you fix it, and you go on doing what you were meant to do. 

Hebrews 3:13 sums up this whole post so beautifully,

"But exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

The best way to help your accountability partner stop sinning is to encourage them every single day. 

So, if you see an eyelash in someone's eye, don't just talk to them about how they can't get it out. Help them remove it so they can go on picking up the groceries.