A gift we can give ourselves

Are you in a good place in your relationship with your spouse, children, siblings and neighbors? Or do you make poor choices that affect these relationships? 

Are these same bad decisions affecting your relationship with God? 

Why do we give in to these behaviors, even when we wish we didn’t? Is it because we don’t take our addiction, lying or promiscuity seriously enough? We know we shouldn’t commit a certain act, but we rationalize it away or bargain with ourselves, “Just one more time. Then I’ll repent and never do it again.” 

But we do – over and over again. Eventually, regret and self-hate set in, and we plead for God’s mercy. We hate ourselves for abusing God’s kindness, yet we continue our miserable downward spiral. And all the while, our relationships continue to suffer.

I have an idea for those of us who seriously want to experience genuine change – a gift we can give ourselves that could change our lives:

Find a core group of close friends who’ll encourage, pray for and hold each other accountable while studying Romans 6 together. This endeavor may end up being such a positive experience that after a while, you may rank it as the best gift you’ve ever given yourself.

During the next several weeks, let’s see how much we can grow while meditating on Romans 6, a tremendous chapter that calls us to purity and holiness. And let’s invite someone (or someones) to go on the journey with us. If we’re transparent about the areas in which we struggle, we’ll discover that accountability can be another fundamental tool in our arsenal. 

Romans 6:2 (ESV) says, “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Isn’t it time we stopped allowing sinful or bad habits to control us? 

What do you think? Would you like to see how spending time in God’s Word and practicing accountability with a small group could transform you and your life? Would you at least consider praying about it? 

Meditating on God’s Word and making ourselves accountable to an individual or a small group can be an effective way to break out of that downward spiral. Imagine how motivating it would be to celebrate one another’s victories, knowing that each measurable victory will bring us to a better place in our relationships with each other and with Christ… including in our homes, our communities and our churches. 

In a future column, I’ll share practical guidelines on how to start and run an accountability group.

Sheryl H. Boldt, a Franklin County resident, is the author of the blog, www.TodayCanBeDifferent.net. Connect with her at SherylHBoldt@gmail.com.