Wednesday, January 4, 2012

One of the best things you can do in the New Year (or anytime) to keep the goals you set

This is a re-post that I posted on my other blog.  It is a good way to make sure those goals you have set for the New Year actually get accomplished.


We ALL need accountability.  We need someone to hold us to a higher standard.  We need that someone to be like minded and loving.  Today what I would like to share with you is how to find an accountability partner.  We do need to set goals, but it truly helps if we have someone that walks with us and helps us meet our goals.  For some of us that person could be our husband, but for women a lot of times we need other women as an accountability partner.  I always knew I needed one, but was hesitant to get one because well, I would actually have to be accountable to someone.  The thought is a little scary.


When you are seeking an accountability partner I would encourage you to look for a  few things:

A like-minded Christian
Someone who has been through or is going through your stage of life
Someone with a real desire to study God’s Word, memorize Scripture and be willing to learn with you

I will tell you how I found an accountability partner.  It was a few summers ago and I had just had my third child and I was getting in little or no Bible study.  I needed someone to hold me accountable.  I was trying to think of someone who was in my Sunday School class at church that could be flexible and had a willing spirit but that I did not know very well. 

I just sent her an e-mail kind of in desperation and then I forgot that I sent her one.  She e-mailed me about a week and half later and said she was definitely interested in getting together.  We really had no idea what we were doing.  The one thing I knew was that she was memorizing the same set of verses I was so I thought that would be easy to incorporate.  We both had small children so we would come to each others homes and we both lived in the same county not too far apart.

We thought we would start with the basics so we stared with a 10-week study called Life Changing Doctrine.  We also kept up our memorizing.  She was better at memorizing than me so she would call or e-mail me during the week to ask if I was keeping up with my verses.  She did it gently and not accusingly.

We have made a prayer journal.

She also has started asking me accountability questions from a great website – Character that counts.

Proverbs 27:17 says:
Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another.


I would encourage you to begin praying now about who you would choose as an accountability partner.  You do not have to know that person well.  Also, do not wait for someone to come to you.  Go to them – seek them out after praying about it.  Do not be discouraged if the person does not want to do this.  Accountability is a difficult thing.  Just do not give up – keep trying until you find that person that will hold you accountable.

Update:  Since starting our accountability my friend Angel and I have added one more person.   We do not do a Bible study together but we do come together once a week and go over each day of our personal Bible study.  We all are doing the same one - we just read in the Bible and then summarize the Scripture we read and tell how can apply it to our lives.  We say our verses that we are currently memorizing to each other and then we ask each out other the "accountability" questions from the website above.

We do this in each other's home while our kids play with each other.  Of course there are interruptions but we still make sure we get through the reason that we came together.  We are in that season where we usually have at least most or all of our children with us so this works best for us.

What about you?  Do you have accountability in your life?  What does that look like?  How do you make it work?


1 comment:

  1. I think having an accountability partner is great. Besides my husband, my BFF serves as mine. We definitely keep each other motivated and on track.
    Have a lovely day!
    Kim

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