Are You Accountable?
The Wise Person Understands Ultimate Accountability Before God Leads To Freedom
NOTE: IMPORTANT PERSONAL NOTE FROM IANN SCHONKEN AT THE VERY END OF THIS ARTICLE REGARDING CHANGES TO NEWSLETTER GOING FORWARD. PLEASE BE SURE TO READ. THANKS! “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12–13 NIV)
When you first read this portion of Scripture, you sit back and go, “That’s a little scary, you know. Think about it. Everything I’ve ever done? Every thought I’ve had? Oh, man, I don’t want all that to get out! I don’t want everybody to know every thought I’ve ever had!”
God sees right through you, doesn‘t He? He’s got a front-row seat to your every thought and your every move. Kinda freaky if you think about it. But here’s the deal: it’s a good thing.
I used to be scared of God shining a spotlight on all my junk. But you know what? God doesn’t do the accountability thing to embarrass us. He does it because He loves us and wants what’s best for us.
When we’re willing to get real about the places we fall short, some pretty awesome stuff starts to happen:
We clear out the junk. When you dare to name your struggles before God, they start loosening their grip. Shame loses its power when brought into the light.
We make space for growth. Owning where we messed up leaves room for God’s wisdom to take root. I’ve seen Him transform areas of my life I never thought would change.
We get to know God better. Being known fully and loved anyway is the best feeling ever. God doesn’t judge; He frees. My friendship with Him gets stronger the more I open my life up to His perfect love.
So don’t run from accountability. Dive in head first! Spend time reading the Bible to discover His amazing dreams for you. I promise you’ll be blown away by how personal and thoughtful He is.
No hiding, no pretending. Just you and God, working it all out together. I’m telling you, freedom awaits! What area of your life do you need to bring to light today?
You got this friend. God believes in you, and so do I! While nothing can be hidden from God, that is not a negative. It should encourage us to deep-dive into God’s Word to discover everything He has provided for us to succeed. Take heart from that today.
Check out The Daily Christian: Wisdom by Iann Schonken.
Action Steps
Set aside at least 10 minutes daily to read the Bible. Underline verses that challenge or encourage you.
Pray honestly, naming any hidden sins, doubts, fears, or regrets. No pretending!
Ask God to reveal blind spots. Receive His forgiveness. Let go of shame or excuses.
Take note when God gives you the strength to overcome struggles. Thank Him for His grace at work in you!
When doubts or failures creep in, remember that God's love endures forever.
Remember that we will all have an audit at the very end of our lives. If we allow the Word of God to help us make corrections along the way, we do not need to fear the day of accountability before God’s throne.
Decide to make adjustments daily as God’s Word challenges you to change for the better. It is the wise way to live!
Note: After several years, 78 posts, giving away hundreds of free ebooks, and tens of thousands of words written, edited, formatted, and presented in this weekly newsletter, I have had several friends ask me repeatedly why I still haven‘t turned on the paid subscriptions switch for this newsletter. They told me that people appreciate what they paid for more than free stuff. After much debate, this past week, I finally relented and made the paid subscription option available to all! Yes, I know that will probably not sit well with some folks, but please hear me out...
Where other newsletters ask for up to $20 per month for their paid subscription with no option for a free subscription, I felt compelled to keep the amount affordable for almost everyone by creating a paid subscription option of only $7.00/month.
This allows someone who considers my written endeavors valuable to encourage me by contributing financially so I may continue writing for the foreseeable future.
Also, that price point is equivalent to about a breakfast sandwich, a hashbrown, and a small coffee at McDonald's once a month. (Smile) I wish I could sit with you all and share that Happy Meal, but some of our subscribers live in far-flung countries like Mauritius, Morocco, the Czech Republic, and Zambia. The only way we can do it is through this wonderful Substack platform.
I think that presenting an option for a paid subscription is not unreasonable since I spend a great deal of time and energy writing these newsletters, and I have been doing so consistently for a very long time without asking for anything in return. Also, I will be expanding my output going forward into more multimedia offerings, including short book reviews and audio/video training as part of the subscription. I will make sure free subscribers will continue to get great value, so please stick around and allow me to bless you.
Please hear my heart: If you don‘t want to go for a paid subscription at this time, there are no bad feelings on my part. I love to share the wisdom found in God‘s Word in writing, and I will continue to do exactly that for the rest of my life.
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Thank you for reading this and giving me your kind consideration. —Iann Schonken