Thursday, August 11, 2016

Neighborly Accountability


Ezekiel 33: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

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Silently I let a few people fall. In my mind they were slimy and would stop at nothing to get ahead. When I heard they were being watched I said to myself “Good, serves them right!” I did not warn them of their impending doom.

  • There have been some people I have wanted to see fail.
  • There have been some people I have wanted to see crash and burn.
  • There have been some people I have wanted to get what is coming to them.


Watching someone fail actually felt pretty good. I mean they had their chance to do the right thing right? Wrong! While they may have been warned by others, they may have listened to me. GOD wants me to behave differently than a “mini-judge.”

  • GOD wants me to have grace in my heart for all, even those who have stepped on my "last nerve.”
  • GOD wants me to have grace in my heart for all, especially the one who I think “deserves” a good fall.
  • GOD wants me to have grace in my heart for all, for the same measure of grace I show others will be shown to me.


It is real easy to point out the problems in others. It makes me forget that I need grace as well. Instead of “that” person needing to change, GOD wants me to change my heart towards them. HE wants me to have compassion rather than rage and tells me to “Pray without ceasing” for those who truly need to hear encouragement instead of argument. GOD holds me accountable for those HE put around me.

  • Are you sitting back and watching a person fail?
  • Do you think your actions are better than theirs?
  • Can you ask GOD for words of encouragement they may need in order to turn their eyes back to HIM?
  • Will you accept GOD’s calling to tell people about turning to the SON?

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