1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Reflection
A CNN article reports that the personal trainer industry around the world is a $40 billion dollar one. Indeed, it is reported that for people who have a personal trainer, they experience, ”significantly greater improvements in lean body mass” than people who do not have personal trainers. As jarring as this is to believe, according to The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the results are owing to two factors: accountability and motivation. It seems intuitively to be true. In the hard matters of life, someone unrelentingly reminding us of the goal is helpful.
Success in the Christian life is no different. We need cheerleaders and people in our lives to tell us the hard truths we need to hear. Accountability in the Christian life is essential to success. But, if Christian accountability is to succeed, it will require a loving person that we trust to speak into us without a judgmental spirit, and with a common understanding that we are all imperfect and need help. Timberlake’s LifeGroups need to be, in part, that… or they are missing this important element of our shared Christian lives. Indeed, this is why LifeGroups are encouraged to break into smaller, loving groups within the larger group: to encourage healthy accountability. We need people reminding us of our godly goals, in unrelenting fashion. And we need to receive the hard truths with joy from our spiritual personal trainers. Onward to a leaner and more fit Christian life!
Prayer
Lord, may we humble ourselves to be vulnerable to godly accountability. May we see the value in having someone in our lives who will speak your truth and encouragement boldly to us in love.
