Accountability

I was at a meeting this week in Rapid City, and I was asked to share a short spiritual thought on the topic of accountability. I would like to condense those thoughts for you right now, and add some additional comments.

Early in my mission I was a little bit discouraged because people were not responding to our ministry as I hoped. There are a lot more details to this story, but the main point is that I had expectations for the missionary work in the area, and those expectations were not being met. The important truth that I forgot is that the people I am serving are accountable to the Lord for their choices, and so am I.

When we forget that our accountability is first to the Lord, we lose our humility before him and pride steps in. This leads us to complacency because we appear more successful than others by comparison, or it leads us to discouragement because we appear to fail according to false expectations.

We are all 100% accounted for by Heavenly Father, but our goal is to become 100% accountable to Him. In order to do this, we must come to know Him on a very personal level. Jesus Christ was able to live perfectly because He knew His Father. He walked exactly in line with God's will because He understood and was perfectly united with Him. I offer 3 suggestions to become more accountable to the Lord, which will in turn make us more righteous.

1. NOURISH YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. The way that we can be accountable to the Lord in this life is by having His Spirit with us, which is the gift that God has made available to us so that we can prepare to live in His presence. If we do not learn it now, it will seem impossible later and will require much more effort and painful adjustment on our part. As we make covenants such as baptism, bound by Priesthood ordinances, we devote our life to the Lord and he rewards us with the Spirit in our lives. If we make all of our decisions based off of our covenants with the Lord, we will successfully fulfill our purpose in life.

2. SEEK THE LORD'S WILL. We must lay aside our desires, hopes, and dreams in life so that the Lord can step in and show us how He wants us to be. If we try to live up to our expectations in life, we will fall dramatically short of our potential. Because Heavenly Father loves us, he will allow us to enjoy life and do the things that we like, as long as we engrain His will as the top priority in our hearts.

3. DO ALL THAT IS IN YOUR POWER TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL. If you have chosen to draw your heart close to His in life, and you have sought His guidance in your decisions, it is your responsibility to move forward in faith that God will make a way for you to do what is right in His eyes. This decision to follow through with the Lord's will is the only way to bring real peace to your heart and mind. This is the peace that Jesus Christ offered His disciples:

  26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

(John 14, KJV Holy Bible)

If you do not seek to carry out the Lord's will, your heart will be troubled and you will be lost in life. You may not feel these troubling effects immediately, but unless you devote your life to the Lord, the misery will certainly come. It may come much later, when the time is shorter and the pain deeper, but it will come. Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance. I am aware that there are some in the world who do not serve the Lord or believe he is important, yet they feel comfortable. The promise is the same to them, that at some day, they will become painfully aware of their unworthiness before God and great remorse will come to their conscience. You will, at some day, feel tormented, if you ignore the Lord. I love the people that I know on this earth, and I do not wish such pains upon anyone. I hope that everyone will turn to Christ.

 39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.

 40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.

 41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

 42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

(2 Nephi 9, The Book of Mormon)

Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved. If you believe that your life can be acceptable without following the Lord's narrow way that He has given, you will be brought down low. I pray that all of my loved ones can find forgiveness and keep themselves on the path set forth by God. I wish you all the greatest happiness in your lives. I love you!

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