By Doug Apple Manager, Wave94

Be the Best You Can Be with Accountability

She got front row tickets to the Guns N’ Roses concert.  And backstage passes.

“Why shouldn’t I be able to do whatever I want?” she said.

Then she added, “My parents weren’t with me, so there was nobody to stop me.”

The problem was, she had a big tennis match the next day.

I’m talking about Monica Seles, from her new book “Getting a Grip.”  She was a tennis star as a child, and by 17 she was tops in the world.  And she was ready to throw off her parents’ restraint.

She played poorly the day after the concert.  “But,” she said, “I hadn’t learned my lesson yet.”

Before this her family had always traveled with her.  But now she announced that she wanted to travel alone, without her family.  Her next tournament was in San Diego, and her late nights took the edge off her game; and she lost to rival Jennifer Capriati.

The next tournament was in Los Angeles, and after a less-than-her-best showing, she made a decision.  No more trying to live like a celebrity.  She was going to refocus on the business of tennis.  And to make sure she did, she called her parents.

See, the presence of her parents provided accountability.  That meant someone was watching her, was keeping track of her, and could hold her accountable.

I look at it this way.  Her parents were there to shine a light on her actions.  She knew it wasn’t right to stay out half the night when she had a tournament the next day, but you know what?  It’s harder to do the right thing when no one is there shining a light on your actions.

Now think about this on a national level.  One reason we have a free press in America is so that the press can shine a light on the actions of government.  People in government are more likely to toe the line when the press is there to shine a light on them.

And this is true for us as Christians.  It’s easier to stay on the straight and narrow when our actions are out in the light.  That means someone else knows what we are doing.  Our actions are exposed.

Take, for example, our use of the internet.  At our house, a person’s use of the internet is out in the light.  The computer is in the living room between the TV and the fireplace. Everyone can see what you are doing.  In fact, the computer is hooked up to the TV, so last night, as I was on the internet, my daughter was watching everything I did up on the big screen.

Talk about accountability!  What if everything you did on the computer was showing on another screen somewhere?

Ephesians 5 says, “Have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”

It goes on to say, “…all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.”

I like that line, “whatever makes manifest is light.”

{sidebar id=1}On the other hand, there is darkness.  Jesus said in John 3 that “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

So as Christians, we should not be afraid to have our deeds exposed.  We should be perfectly willing to expose them to the light.  John 3:21 says, “…whoever lives by the truth comes into the light…”

How many times have I heard about Christians sneaking around, doing things they shouldn’t do?  If that’s you, then the best you can do is to expose your deeds to the light.   

For example, can anyone else read your e-mail or text messages?  Or do you kind of keep those tucked away in the dark?  What about your credit card receipts?  Or your video rentals?

What if you had a surprise knock at your door in that hotel room?

See, it’s important that we shine a light on all areas of our life.  We need to lift the lid and let the light in.  That means other people can see what we’re up to, and that provides the accountability we need to stay on the straight and narrow.

Even at 17, Monica Seles realized she needed the accountability of her parents if she was going to be the tennis player she wanted to be.

And we as Christians need accountability as well, so we can be the “people of the light” that God is calling us to be.

Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.

This article originally published on August 20, 2009.

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