How much are you accountable for?

Accountability is a challenging subject to many guys. We do not like to be told what to do or when to do it! Fortunately, most of us realize accountability is a part of life, although some guys never figure it out or think they are above the rules! To what standard are we held accountable? Let’s take a look from a Biblical perspective as it relates to money.

Accountability is a challenging subject to many guys. We do not like to be told what to do or when to do it! Fortunately, most of us realize accountability is a part of life, although some guys never figure it out or think they are above the rules! To what standard are we held accountable? Let’s take a look from a Biblical perspective as it relates to money.

I believe our minimum standard is found in the Parable of the Mina’s with the king’s statement to the third slave, who simply hid the money: “Why then didn’t you put my money in the bank, so that when I returned, I could have collected it with interest?” (Luke 19:23). We are to do something positive with the money God entrusts to us.

On the other hand, the maximum standard could be summarized in Jesus’ statement to the rich young ruler in Luke 18: “Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (v. 22). If we look further, God does not look on us with favor when we try to hold on to all our money and material possessions when there is kingdom work to be done. In the parable of the rich fool, God demands everything—the man’s very life! (Luke 12:20).

Now, looking at those examples, you might think, “That’s a pretty wide standard—from ‘Do something positive,’ to ‘Sell all you have and give to the poor.’” True, but we have to remember that Jesus’ statement in each case addressed the issue that was keeping the man from devoting himself fully to God. Maybe one of those statements is appropriate for where you are, or maybe you’re somewhere between the two.

The bigger issue is our faith. I believe He is most concerned about whether we’re in right relationship with Him, and what issues may be standing in the way of us becoming more fully devoted followers of Christ. It’s our job to acknowledge that He is the owner and we are stewards who are accountable to Him.

And we are accountable only for the amount that we have. Even if I could give every penny of my income to His work, I’m still limited by how much I earn. Some people will always give more than I do, and some people less, because of what God has chosen to give each of us. So none of us should beat ourselves up or feel inadequate as stewards because of what we can or cannot do in comparison to others. God has His reasons for giving us what we have. We are accountable to do our best with it, for His glory