Accountability partners are a very great help in our walk towards godliness, holiness and purity. These precious people are God's gift to us, lovingly helping us to see what's wrong with us and helping to correct the wrong that we believe in. They aren't our teachers, but they teach us that two are better off than one, just like what the teacher said in the book of Ecclesiastes.
If you have an accountability partner, then you know the benefits they bring. If you yourself are someone's accountability partner, then you should know how blessed you are for having that role in that person's life.
The importance of being a brother's keeper
Being an accountability partner – or what the Bible calls a "brother's keeper" – is a very precious and important role that one may play in the life of another believer. They help prevent a person form being blindsided by the enemy by letting them see what is wrong with them. Brother's keepers act as mirrors, effectively showing a person the areas where he is blindly mistaken, ignorantly in error, and consciously askew.
The role of being a brother's keeper is given to all Christians. We are to help one another grow in our walk with God, encouraging one another to pursue godliness and holiness and avoid sin and fleshly desires. This is not a role exclusive to certain "special people." Rather, it's a believer's unspoken task to keep his brother walking steadily in the faith.
How to be a better brother's keeper
For sure you've acted as a brother's keeper in one way or another. You are a brother's keeper when you tell another Christian that what he is doing is not pleasing to God, or when you lovingly correct a brother and point him to what is said in Scripture, or when you allow him to admit his sins without judging him, then leading him to repentance and back to a growing relationship with the Lord. It's such an honourable task.
To help you become a better brother's keeper, here are some things you should remember:
1. We are all pilgrims in this journey
All of us are equal in the eyes of God; no one is above another. Keeping this in mind will help us from acting like a superior person than our brothers. Instead, it will humble us and remind us that we have flaws, too. We are companions and co-pilgrims walking together towards the finish line, where Christ is waiting for us.
2. Love them like Jesus did
Jesus Himself loved us, and wants us to do the same to our brothers. In the same way, we should build them up, not tear them down. Recognise that if Jesus came here to bring the Father's love to us and us to the Father, that's what we should be doing to one another, too.
3. Protect one another
Being a brother's keeper includes protecting one another – most especially from sin, from controversies, slander and gossip. As such, let's avoid talking about the problems and stories of our brothers and sisters with others, even if we are tempted to. They shared their life and struggles with us because they trust us. It's just right that we honour their trust.
