Why accountability and community are the keys to success

There is a reason why the Bible talks about the power of gatherings

The Bible spends a lot of time talking about people. Specifically, the Bible spends a lot of time talking about the power of people when they come together.

Even in the beginning, as God was creating the world, He saw that man wasn’t fit to be alone, which is why he created woman. And millions of years later, mankind is still not fit to be alone. We were made for tribes and community to encourage each other, to uplift each other and to hold each other accountable to behaviors and goals.

What does accountability mean?

The definition of ‘accountability’ is to be reliable or responsible. In the case we are discussing, it means to be responsible for your actions.

When Scripture talks about accountability, it’s usually in light of owning your choices in life and giving account for your actions. When Jesus talks about accountability, He talks about it in relation to those around you, and the power that gatherings of people have together.

The psychology behind accountability and community

The fact that accountability is a requirement of success is one of those universal truths that God set into motion. It’s also one of the hundreds of areas where science and religion agree.

Darren Hardy, a premier business mentor, wrote this in his book, The Compound Effect:

“According to research by social psychologist Dr. David McClelland of Harvard, [the

people you habitually associate with] determine as much as 95 percent of your success

or failure in life.”

That’s huge. Ninety-five percent of your success or failure in life comes from the people you’re around the most frequently. Jim Rohn, a motivational speaker, compounded this excerpt by saying,

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Evidently, there is power in numbers.

Community produces accountability. Accountability produces success.

Community -- true community -- naturally produces the outflow of accountability. As you live life with people, you will confide in them. You will share your dreams and goals with them. And if they care about you, they will hold you accountable for what you do to make your dreams a reality.

A good community will lead you back on track when you go off the rails. They will encourage and support you. They will build trust that inspires open and honest conversations. It’s only in these open and honest conversations where true accountability can happen.

Jesus makes this very clear in Luke 8:17 when He says, “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”

When you build true community, it brings your darkest moments into the light. It gives you the freedom to share your soul with others. And, if you are in a community with people who are pushing toward the same goals as you are, it’ll inspire you to own your mistakes and make better choices moving forward.

That’s where accountability comes into play. Once you are able to confront your mistakes, you can learn your lesson and adjust your path to still reach your goal. Community forces you to look into the mirror of accountability, to assess your strengths and weaknesses, and to make the changes necessary to reach your goals.

Without community, we are deceived. We are able to sweep our mistakes and regrets under the rug, never taking full account of what we have done. And if history tells us anything, it’s that a lesson left unlearned will repeat itself.

Mistakes left unaccounted for will repeat themselves. People left unaccountable will repeat themselves.

Break the cycle

We have to get into community groups -- for the sake of our goals, for the sake of our relationships, and for the sake of ourselves. And, as Jesus followers, we must get into community if we ever want to live out what God has planned for us fully. We weren’t created to navigate this life alone. Find a community group with like-minded people, and take the next step toward breaking the cycle so you can reach success.