'Show Me' Sequel

"I need accountability. Really, everybody needs to be accountable."

A phone conversation of just this past Saturday afternoon yielded this obvious reminder as encouragements were exchanged. In this particular case, a job was at the heart of the dialogue. Being prompt. Being precise. Being productive. Being measured. All of these are components of most work relationships. There are expectations of being an employee from the employer, and they are usually reasonable and agreed to before for the first training session and certainly before the release of the first paycheck.

You have heard this statement that is normally attributed to Scripture; "God helps those who help themselves." A friend of mine in response to this human proverb responded; "Those who help themselves usually go to prison!" We chuckled, but there is truth in both statements really. Blessed is the person who is diligent and responsible. 'Un-blessed' is the person whose energy is devoted to taking what others have earned.

Does God really help those who help themselves? Does He have the right to inspect your life to determine if you are being accountable with strength He has provided you, the intellect He has invested in you, the personality that He created in you, the abilities that He has engineered in you...and the one and only life that He has authored in you? Isn't there something reasonable that He should be able to expect of you in return for His generosity toward you? Can He require anything of you or is He to accept what acknowledgements you may have time, want or memory to offer up?

"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, the books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books." Revelation 20:12

Your life is being carefully monitored. Every detail of your thoughts and actions are being recorded for future reference. Evaluations are forthcoming and eternal. God has issued the forewarning of your face to face meeting with Him. You have an assigned schedule fixed and there will be no options as to whether or not you will be prompt. This is a meeting that can be absolutely joy filled or grief ridden. The whole of your life will be unveiled so that an honest appraisal of you can be accurate beyond question.

Some questions for the here and now as you prepare for the hereafter...

1. Did you exercise faith in Christ who gave Himself for you so that your sin would be covered by His grace?

2. Did your conversations with your spouse, kids, family, friends, neighbors, work associates, friends and sales clerks reflect your relationship with Him?

3. Was your attitude one of gratitude and grace toward others? Were you understanding, forgiving, and servant minded or were you annoyed with, complaining of and looking to 'get yours' in your relationship circles?

4. Did you live for the temporal, the immediate, the instant...gratifying self or were you sensitive to your 'passing through' and careful that you kept your eye on the eternal while living in the moment?

5. Did you take God more seriously than you did yourself? Were you accountable to Him for the one and only life that He gave you. Did you depend on Him to guide you, guard you, protect you and provide for you? Did you enjoy Him and thank Him for His generosity to you?

It really does matter that we live each day with a sense of future accountability. When we do, we can anticipate quite a reward for living wisely. "Really, everybody needs to be accountable."

The truth is...everyone will be.