Accountability questions can be a great way to help you in living out the life of holiness and integrity you aspire to. Finding an accountability partner or group you can be totally honest with, and who will ask you such questions, is a great marker on your path towards Christian maturity.
John Wesley devised a series of accountability questions for the members of the Methodist movement, to help ensure they were all growing in holiness as a key part of their discipleship.
Band Meeting Questions
Each week Methodists would meet together in groups of three to five people of the same gender (known as bands), and ask each person the following four questions:
- What known sins have you committed since our last meeting?
- What temptations have you met with?
- How were you delivered?
- What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?
Class Meeting Questions
They also had a series of questions asked regularly at the weekly class meetings (essentially bible study groups of 12 people meeting together). Some of these included:
- Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
- Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self-justifying?
- Did the Bible live in me today?
- Am I enjoying prayer?
- Do I pray about the money I spend?
- Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
Which of these accountability questions do you need to have someone ask you regularly, to help you maintain integrity and grow in scriptural holiness? And who are the people you will give permission to ask them of you each week?
For more on John Wesley, click here for info on how to order your copy of A Blueprint for Revival: Lessons from the Life of John Wesley.
Mark Williamson works as a director of One Rock. He’s an experienced leadership trainer, author of biographies on John Wesley and William Wilberforce, and is also passionate about praying for London. He enjoys good films, good food, and going for long walks with his wife Joanna. You can follow him on Twitter @markonerock.