Excuse me, you've got some wood in your eye...

Something kinda interesting happened the other day. My little sister was going to bed, and it was really late at night. She called my mom back into her room and said, “I have a piece of wood in my eye! I need you to get it out!” Why is this significant? It reminded me of Matthew 7:3-5.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see the clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

I was thinking about how sometimes you need someone to help you get your speck out of your eye. A lot of the time, we see this verse and think about how we shouldn’t be judgmental – and that’s true! God is the only one who is holy enough to judge us. But what happens when you can’t tell that you have a plank in your eye? How much does that hurt? First of all, it hurts to even have that harmful plank in your life. Have you ever gotten something stuck in your eye? It’s painful! Then, to have someone point it out and tell you to get it out? Ouch!

What if you’ve already tried everything to get it out of your life? You’ve prayed and prayed and done Bible studies and used sheer will-power, but you just can’t get it out of your life? That’s why God provided us with the church. A church is supposed to be there to encourage you and help you – but you have to be willing to change. I think it’s important that we let people into our lives; even the parts that we try to hide from everyone else. By being vulnerable to other people, it provides you with an accountability system. It will help you stop doing what you’ve been trying to stop doing. Sometimes accountability to another physical person is what you need. I say “physical person” because most of us KNOW already that God is holding us accountable for our actions…but is that enough for you?

Is it enough to know that God is watching you all the time? Sometimes it is…but honestly, sometimes it’s not. God knew that there would be things that would be hard for us to quit. He knew that there would always be things that we would struggle with, because we’re HUMAN! He provides us with trustworthy people who are willing to help and can give you that extra push that you need to stop. Sometimes it comes in the form of a parent. Maybe it’s a best friend. A coworker who is debating trying Christianity and watches you. Maybe it’s a therapist or a Bible study group. The point is that He provides those people for you. You have to be willing to let those people into your life. Still not convinced? Scroll over these links.


James 5:16

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

It’s hard to be vulnerable and to expose your weaknesses to others. It’s difficult to confess when you fail. But God calls us to be holy just as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). If that means opening up to another person in order to pursue holiness, that’s what you have to do. It will be hard at first, but once you get into a system of accountability with that person or group, you’ll be thankful you did. Here are some tips for picking an accountability partner from CovenantEyes.com:

1)Your accountability partner should be someone you talk to regularly in real life. (“Real accountability is most powerfully lived out in face-to-face relationships.”)

2)Your accountability partner should be someone you can trust to be confidential.

3)Your accountability partner should be someone who won’t rush to conclusions.

4)Your accountability partner should be someone who will regularly approach/confront you. (When you haven’t done anything wrong, you feel good about yourself when confronted. When you have, it’s an opportunity for spiritual growth.)

5)Your accountability partner should be someone with patience and compassion. (You shouldn’t have to be afraid that your accountability partner will make you feel guilty when you mess up.)

6)Your accountability partner should not be a different gender than you. (Men and women think differently. That’s it.)

7)Your accountability partner HAS to be a strong Christian. If you try to be accountable to someone who is a baby Christian, or who is struggling with the same issue as you are, your system of accountability won’t work. You may want to talk to someone who has struggled with this issue in the past and has overcome it by the power of Christ.