Weekday Devotionals

Devotional written by Raquel Simmons

Authenticity & Accountability

Two words that carry so much weight to them, but what do they mean exactly?

We learned on Sunday that the heart of Thrive Church is that we “value authenticity and accountability in our relationships, therefore we are introspective and have the tough conversations.”

Some of you may be thinking, introspective? What does that even mean? And tough conversations? No thank you. I do not want any part of that. I am much more comfortable over here just sweeping things under the rug and “letting it go.” I do agree that sometimes it is a good practice to “let it go” just as Elsa sings about, however it is also important to have honest conversations, seasoned with grace and love, when more serious issues arise. To be introspective meant that our first and primary response in a situation would be to take it to the Lord. When someone says or does something that offends me, I can ask, “Lord, what is it within my own heart that could use some attention and healing so that I can better understand this situation?” rather than my first reaction being explosive and vengeful. This is very difficult when you are in the heat of the moment, but not impossible with the Holy Spirit’s help. So now, what about tough conversations? I will be the first to admit that I have been one to receive constructive criticism from someone as them telling me that “everything about me is wrong and everyone hates me!” Cue the world’s smallest violin playing. Thankfully over the years in my walk with Jesus, there has been healing of some of my own insecurities that caused me to believe this irrational thought process. With intentional practice over time, a secure and discerning person can distinguish the difference between constructive criticism that is true, helpful, and necessary for growth, and what is just flat out mean and hurtful. As a Christian, having meaningful and authentic relationships in our lives is necessary to hold us accountable. I recently was talking with a close friend who I would consider a wise and trustworthy Christian woman. An unfortunate event happened in my life, and I told her how I wanted to handle the situation: emotionally, bitterly, and with a “it’s my way or the highway” mentality. She graciously said, “Maybe pray about that first because I think that could end up not being what is best for you.” When she said that, I was not offended. On the contrary, I felt cared for and loved because someone I trusted was holding me accountable. She didn’t want me to make a bad decision based off my feelings in the moment and gracefully suggested I take it to the Lord. Obviously, I decided to take matters into my own hands and chose the” my way or highway buckaroo!” route … I’m kidding. As followers of Jesus, we are not promised an easy journey, but we are promised a better one. Authenticity and accountability in relationships are not simple and easy, but they are worth it.

Application: Consider ways you can experience authenticity and accountability in your life. Is it through a small group? Is it through having that tough conversation that you’ve been avoiding? Maybe its both. I encourage you to lean in to that this week and see what God has to offer!