August 3. Count, Counted and Accountable.

Being a leader of a family, an organization or company has many different characteristics. Two of them that might just be the most important are being intentional and accountable. Leaders set the why, the tone, and the course.

The intentionality of these three components is going to be seen, felt, and heard by your team members and your clients. Once our intentions are clearly communicated, we want our team to follow, and we will take measurements and hold them accountable to them. But the leadership will establish the pattern and purpose of accountability.

We, as leaders, might be the most important people to be held accountable. It is our personal accountability that our team will look towards as an example. Our ability to get their buy-in to accountability starts with us. We set the standard of accountability. How do you lead by example with your accountability?

What measurements are you monitoring for your team and for yourself? How do you share successes or lack of performance, is it by weekly meetings, some technology, or a combination? If you asked an outsider to look at your accountability system, where might they say you are at your strongest and weakest?

What is the first thing that you can do about it in the next seven days?

My tongue gets me in trouble sometimes, I know. I have been married to a wonderful woman for over 30 years. She can account to you many ways I might have done that. But when I take my time and avoid being quick to speak, my tongue seems to get less poisonous.

As a follower of Christ, I believe that I can cause less harm and show more love by being intentional with my words. Having a method to be accountable for them also helps. Making promises on a weekly basis is how I do it. How do you allow others to hold you accountable for your words?

We read in Proverbs 20:25 NLT, "Do not trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost.” If we are a considerate people, our promises will be intentional and less rash as the Proverb warns us. A promise made can be a promise kept.

Where might you be able to make more of a considerate promise in your faith? The wisdom of making an intentional promise is powerful. Promises made intentionally move us forward and can connect us to Jesus. When I promise to read the Bible every day for one week, I offer myself to be exposed to the Holy Spirit.

When I promise to pray for others on every Tuesday during the season of Lent, we connect with God in our prayers. When I promise to fast on Mondays during the month of August, I connect with Jesus and his suffering from being in the wilderness for forty days.

What is the first thing that you can do to make a well-constructed promise in the next seven days?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, your grace is enough. Your gifts to us are as countless as our sins. We want to draw nearer to your love and know that we come up short. But we know that we can direct our attention and be accountable to one another. Guide us as we help each other to grow in our relationships.

Help us as we work to be less judgmental and more loving. May we step forward with our promises to one another, to live, to love and to follow Christ. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen, ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

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