I have an answer and it might surprise you….
A couple of weeks ago I asked my friends on twitter and Facebook if there was such a thing as too much accountability. I found that my friends could not agree. Some emphatically told me, "No, accountability is always a good thing and you can't have enough!" Others felt that we should be cautious in choosing people to be accountable to. Well, I've done some thinking about this and I'd like share with you my answer and also what I'm doing about it.
First, they were both right. That's because it depends. Most of the time, when 'it depends' we're talking about the circumstances or in the case of accountability, how sensitive the topic is. I don't think that should determine how much accountability we have in our lives, however. I say 'it depends' because it depends on how much success you're having with that area/issue. If I'm being challenged with a goal or a growth area in my life and I can't seem to find success, then in many cases, more accountability is exactly what I need. Chances are, I need people who care about me to know what I'm attempting to do to ensure my success. However, if I'm doing OK, then more accountability is really more about me and less about me trying to grow!
Here's how this plays out: I'm trying to lose weight and get in shape. I've been struggling with this for years..many years. I already have some accountability in my life with this goal and I'm having success. This means I'm not going to be posting how I'm doing with my weight loss.
Don't worry, that doesn't mean you're off the hook. I just told you I'm working on this, so now you know and you can do something about it. You can ask me how it's going (if you're inclined to care) or even better you can pray for me!
This week I was thinking about the apostle Paul when he was talking about his 'thorn in the flesh'. Whatever he was dealing with, he at least had the wisdom to ask for prayer. Asking for prayer can be a great start into developing accountability. For many of life's issues it's the perfect amount of accountability. This is because anytime we engage God's community and God himself in our goals we are tapping into a deep well of resources!