Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back. James 5:16, 19; Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25
Saturday I met with my Kairos brothers. I have skipped the last two Kairos retreats so I have been many months away. I didn’t realize how much I missed the interaction. Kairos is a ministry, but the gathered participants are really a Christian Accountability group in the best sense of that term. It was great to be back together.
There’s much scriptural support for the concept of Christian Accountability: the idea that each Christian should be part of a group for mutual support, encouragement and accountability. Today there is even more need for such groups than in the past. Although we have great technology, we are still less connected than any other generation. We lack positive role models. We are bombarded with images of a worldly self-centered morality. We live in what is now being called a “Post Christian” era. Our BFF (best friend forever) is more likely to be the person we text the most and not someone with whom we share the deepest concerns of our lives.
Being part of such a Christian support group is critical, but difficult. The group must consist of Christian friends who trust each other yet have enough love for each other to be completely and often brutally honest. The members need to be vulnerable with a deep respect for the need for confidentiality.
Consider beginning now to pray for direction regarding your participation in such a group. Ask God to direct you to just one or two others to start. Begin slow, meeting with prayer and “light” sharing. Build trust with Christ as the center of discussion. The meetings should be comfortable and private and at least once a week. It is best for men to gather with men and women with women. It doesn’t seem to matter if there are age, culture or race differences; in fact, such differences can be helpful.
Perhaps the one factor that makes Kairos a successful support group is that support isn’t it’s principal goal, ministry is. Folks from a variety of denominations and races come together and develop an agape love for each other because Jesus is at the center and ministry is the goal. We focus on the things we have in common and not the many ways we differ. Maybe that should be the model of any group you try to gather together.
We need to be accountable to be blessed.
Work on it; it’s worth it.
Nick
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