Be accountable

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17

Accountability in relationships is needed more now than ever. Be careful of friends that spend the entire time responding with, “Yeah, girl I feel you!” There are things we just don’t “feel” because we know it’s not right, and it’s our responsibility to be truthful. 

A life that is deficient in iron will cause us to be weak. A relationship that is iron deficient, where no one is being sharpened, corrected, or provoked to good works is not beneficial to growth. 

People may fear making you upset or hurting your feelings, but a real friend would much rather make you upset and please God versus the other way around. 

Accountability isn’t telling people what to do. It is provoking them toward doing what God has already told them to do. 

We are not just helping each other stay out of sin, but helping one another move forward into being all that God created us to be and fulfilling His purpose for their lives. We will never grow on an island isolated away from people. Nor will we grow if we surround ourselves only with those that think like us and talk like us. We need people that sharpen us, get up under our skin and irritate us, encouraging us to grow and mature. Not “yes” people, but those who feel personally responsible to help us become all that God called us to be.