My Arrogance - Accountability Questions for Integrity
There are times that my arrogance makes it difficult for me to recognize my sins. At other times I realize that things are sins that I hadn't previously recognized as sin. Most of the time though, when I read passages about controlling the tongue, I am convicted of sin.
When I was in college the idea of having an accountability partner was a big deal. Staff at our school would talk about meeting with another Christian or a small group of Christians to ask each other questions that would keep us accountable. The problem for my roommate and I when we decided to become accountability partners was that we had no clue what questions to ask each other. The lists provided by the school were not helpful and the questions we created for ourselves were too specific and they touched areas of our lives that we were not yet ready to change. Our hearts were not ready and we had not been given adequete resources.
Yesterday I read the assigned lectionary Scriptures for this past Sunday. They surrounded the theme of sin. I decided that since the scope of resources on the Internet has expanded since I was in college that perhaps I might be able to find a list of questions of accountability. I succeeded!
On the "Marked By Faith" blog is a compilation of various classical lists of accountability questions. This includes lists provided by John Wesley, Steven Manasker's book "Accountable Discipleship," Chuck Swindoll, James Bryan Smith & Richard Foster, Phil Heifer, the Highway Community in Palo Alto, Ca, Florent Varak, Neil Cole, Dave Guiles, Paul Klawitter, and the blog of Stephen Altrogge. Some of these names are more well known than others, but all seem to be commited to Christ.
Out of the several lists of questions, the one list that most powerfully spoke to me was John Wesley's list of Small Group Questions. These are taken from "John Wesley's Class Meetings; a Model for Making Disciples." I've copied and pasted them below:
When I was in college the idea of having an accountability partner was a big deal. Staff at our school would talk about meeting with another Christian or a small group of Christians to ask each other questions that would keep us accountable. The problem for my roommate and I when we decided to become accountability partners was that we had no clue what questions to ask each other. The lists provided by the school were not helpful and the questions we created for ourselves were too specific and they touched areas of our lives that we were not yet ready to change. Our hearts were not ready and we had not been given adequete resources.
Yesterday I read the assigned lectionary Scriptures for this past Sunday. They surrounded the theme of sin. I decided that since the scope of resources on the Internet has expanded since I was in college that perhaps I might be able to find a list of questions of accountability. I succeeded!
On the "Marked By Faith" blog is a compilation of various classical lists of accountability questions. This includes lists provided by John Wesley, Steven Manasker's book "Accountable Discipleship," Chuck Swindoll, James Bryan Smith & Richard Foster, Phil Heifer, the Highway Community in Palo Alto, Ca, Florent Varak, Neil Cole, Dave Guiles, Paul Klawitter, and the blog of Stephen Altrogge. Some of these names are more well known than others, but all seem to be commited to Christ.
Out of the several lists of questions, the one list that most powerfully spoke to me was John Wesley's list of Small Group Questions. These are taken from "John Wesley's Class Meetings; a Model for Making Disciples." I've copied and pasted them below:
1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass onto another what was told me in confidence?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
6. Did the Bible live in me today?
7. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to someone about my faith?
10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
12. Do I disobey God in anything?
13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?
19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I going to do about it?
20. Do I grumble and complain constantly?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass onto another what was told me in confidence?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
6. Did the Bible live in me today?
7. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to someone about my faith?
10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
12. Do I disobey God in anything?
13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?
19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I going to do about it?
20. Do I grumble and complain constantly?
21. Is Christ real to me?
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