Yesterday, I met with my sabbatical coach and we talked not only about my current season but also about the next steps. I am loving having someone walk alongside me, encouraging me, challenging me, and helping me see my blind spots. It’s making me realize just how important accountability is in our lives.
I always say that God created man not to be alone. Yes, many people apply this primarily to marriage, but I believe it’s true in every season of life: we need people around us to help us grow. As the Lord said, “It is not good for the man to be alone…” (Genesis 2:18).
This season has been humbling in so many ways. It has helped me see that even in areas where I have experience, there are still weak spots that need growth and there are new areas where I need to learn and grow.
I am learning to lay foundations for my next season, and I realize that the only way to ensure those foundations stay strong is through accountability. Without it, it’s easy to neglect what’s important, other things take our time, and months later we realize we never followed through.
When my coach asked, “How will you make sure these stay in your schedule in the future?”, it struck me that accountability is the answer, not just from one person, but from several people around me. People who won’t simply be nice, but who will challenge me when I feel like giving up, and tell me the truth even when it’s hard to hear.
Just as God uses His Word to teach, rebuke, correct, and train me in righteousness, I believe He places people around me to do the same. All I need is a soft, open heart to learn and to see God’s work through them.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. 2 Ti 3:16
(This picture was taken while I had a go at pottery ministry and enjoyed having people teaching me a new skill and asking God to keep changing me).