Accountability: while it may be good for many people in many cases, I believe that in many other cases for many other people it is spiritually paralyzing.
The good: When someone has been involved in habitual sin, or addictive sin, it is good to have a source of accountability who is continually providing focused edification in the arena of a person’s specific sin. Because let’s all be honest – we aren’t meant to live self-sufficiently. We as Christians are meant for community. We are meant to edify and be edified by each other toward righteousness. And I don’t think it is a stretch to say this is good “especially” for those who have developed a strong tendency toward a specific area of transgression, whether internally or externally.
However, I think accountability is often used as a type of crutch upon which one places their dependence in order to change. They replace personal motivation and intentionality with their accountability partners efforts. Proverbs tells us to “rule over your own spirit.” But many times we give that rule over to someone else, or just plain forfeit it because it’s not easy to rule over our spirit. It’s easier to just let our deceitful heart run its course, and let our accountability partner manage and/or clean up the mess.
Not completely segmented from the above, having an accountability partner also leads one to shift their focus. Their motivation can easily become pleasing their accountability partner rather than pleasing Christ. They want to be able to tell that partner that they went the whole week without ___. Their motivation becomes keeping to a system of ethics rather than growing in their relationship with Christ. Is this not the beginning stages of legalism? Often legalism and true religion look the same on the outside, but the intentions of the heart are very different.
The point is, you are responsible. Perhaps you are irresponsible with your responsibilities, but you are still responsible for yourself. You cannot expect others to change you. You cannot depend on a system or program or person to give you Christ. You are RESPONSIBLE. The question is, will you take responsibility for yourself? Will you choose to rule over your own spirit? Will you say no to the impulses of your emotive heart? Will you consciously choose to think thoughts that differ from what is easy to think? Your husband, wife, pastor, friend, etc. is not responsible for your walk with God. You are. Take responsibility. Own it. Rule over yourself.