Welcome back to Leading 10 quick devotions for Christian Leaders, and I'm Chris Moore. Today we're talking about something that can make or break your team accountability. In a world that loves freedom without responsibility, accountability can be uncomfortable. For some, it's even confrontational, but for Christian leaders, it's not optional. It's essential for healthy teams and for fateful stewardship. Whether you're leading a ministry, a business, a classroom, or your family, these principles can transform your culture from one of excuses to one of ownership. So let's see what the Bible says about building accountability. We're gonna go to Galatians chapter six. Let's start in verse five, and then we're gonna back up to verse two. Verse five says, for every man shall bear his own burden. For context, when we go back to verse two, it says, bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. So every man should bear his own burden, his own load, but yet we're to bear one another's burdens. These complimentary verses reveal something powerful about accountability and responsibility. So what does this say to us? The, the phrase, each one should carry their own burden, their own load points to something basic. We're responsible for our own actions. Now, this seems obvious, but it's the first thing that we try to avoid. E even as children, it comes natural. Think about when something goes wrong in your organization. A task that wasn't completed, a deadline that was missed, uh, some commitment that wasn't kept. What's the typical response? Well, explanations become excuses, reasons become rationalizations. Well, I would've finished if marketing had given me what I needed. The client changed their mind at the last minute. We just didn't have time. No one told me that was the expectation. Now, some of these might be valid explanations, but often they're just ways of avoiding the simple truth. I didn't deliver what I promised. Interestingly, just a few verses earlier, Paul writes, carry each other's burdens. So, which is it? Carry your own, carry. Others? Well, actually it's both. In the original Greek, two different words are used for that burden. In verse five, the the burden the load is referring to a soldier's pack, something manageable that each person should handle themselves. While in verse two, it refers to a heavy weight that's too much for one person. It shows us something important. We're responsible for our own commitments and choices. Our load, we're called to help others through overwhelming challenges. Our burdens. Healthy accountability makes it this distinction. It doesn't create a culture where everyone's on their own, but it also doesn't enable dependency where people aren't responsible for what's clearly theirs. So what also does this passage reveal to us about God? First, God expects personal responsibility from each of us throughout the Bible, from Adam and Eve to the final judgment. God consistently treats humans as responsible agents. He doesn't micromanage our choices. He doesn't remove consequences to spares, discomfort. He allows us to experience the results of our decisions. We get both rewards and we get repercussions. Not because he's distant, but because he respects our dignity and our responsibility. Second, God values both personal accountability and community re support. You know, he actually starts verse two, starts with that community res support, and then comes personal accountability. The fact that Paul includes both principles, carry our own loads, and carrying each other's burdens, reflects this balance of justice and mercy. God doesn't pick one. He honors both of them. He holds us accountable while pro, while providing mercy when we're generally overwhelmed. This gives us a model for leadership that's not so rigid that it breaks people. Or so permissive that it enables their irresponsibility. It's a balance and it creates strength through both support and expectations. So how do we apply these principles so that we can create our own culture of responsibility? Well, first model accountability by taking ownership and take it first. As with most aspects of leadership, accountability starts at the top. You have to be accountable to start with. Your team will never be more accountable than you are. So how do you do that? Well, you start with your mistakes. Admit your mistakes openly, and follow through on your own commitments. Accept feedback even when you don't like it graciously, and address your own performance gaps. When leaders make excuses or hold others to standards, they don't fall themselves. There's no accountability. They, they're undermining it everywhere. But when you demonstrate what ownership looks like, and not perfectly, we're, we're never perfect, but when we're authentic about it, you, you give your team permission and a pattern to follow for them to do the same. Next, create clear expectations with measurable outcomes. Those two have to work together. Accountability thrives in clarity and die dies in confusion. In ambiguity, when your team can't be accountable for what they don't understand, for each role in project, make sure your expectations are clearly described. You show them this is what success looks like. They need to be measurable. You show them exactly how progress will be tracked. Everyone understands. It's agreed upon not just to sign but accepted. And here's something important. Sometimes people accept things they know they can't get done because they know how you're gonna react. Telling somebody you're gonna get this done in the next week is not the same as them accepting it. Keep that in mind. That's an important part again, of that community supportive load. You're giving someone a load that's too heavy for them to do on their own. You need to know that. You need to recognize that. Then also make sure that it's time bound. Let them know when results are expected. This clarity helps everyone. It gives team members confidence about what's expected and provide some standards for that evaluation, and then implement regular check-ins that focus on growth. Accountability isn't just in the annual performance review. It's an ongoing conversation. You need to have regular check-ins that review progress against those expectations. Identify obstacles that come up before they become excuses. Real obstacles come up. Real things happen that take it from a personal load to what needs community support. You need to identify those early. You need to celebrate wins along the way, and then also correct course when needed. Some of those little celebrations will help get to that ultimate big celebration by a successful project a, a successful end. Whatever your goal is, and you need to focus on how do we attain that growth rather than judgment. Hey, how do we get there? I'm running behind. Great. How can we catch up? We focus on the second part rather than the why you're behind makes all the difference in the world. Make sure that these come with regular frequency. Whatever that frequency is, make sure these check-ins are predictable, that they're two way, not just a one way report out or me telling you what's happening. Make sure they're developmental in nature, helping grow your team. When accountability is part of your regular rhythm, it becomes part of your culture rather than just an occasional crisis response. And crisis responses are always bad. Next, keep that in mind. This, this distinguishing between what's a load and what's a burden. There's a dis, there's a distinction in Galatians. Each person needs to carry their own load, but we should help each other with overwhelming burdens. This means developing some wisdom about when to hold someone accountable for their load or when to offer additional support cause their burden's too. Great. When do we need to extend grace because there was a genuine setback? And when do we need to maintain consequences for patterns of irresponsibility? This requires knowing your team individually, understanding their capabilities and their challenges, both at work and personal. This goal isn't a rigid system that treats everyone identically, but a wise culture that holds everyone appropriately accountable. While providing the support they need to be truly successful. So let's review what we've learned. Each person should carry their own load of responsibility. We're designed to be accountable while also supporting each other. God values both personal responsibility and community support. So what's your challenge? First, implement regular check-ins that promote accountability if you don't already have them. Schedule recurring one-on-ones with your direct reports. During this meeting, clarify expectations were needed. Have some discussions. Review progress against commitments, and identify supports for those genuine burdens, and then reinforce a culture of ownership. You help them own what they own. You own what you own. Accountability becomes part of your regular rhythm. It's gonna transform from something that's feared to something that fuels growth. Thanks for joining today's Lead in 10. If this message helped you, I hope you'll share it with another leader or someone who's working to strengthen their team. Don't forget to subscribe for this weekday devotional and until tomorrow, lead with clarity and build a culture where responsibility isn't a burden. About a path to growth. Remember, carry your own burden. Help others to carry their overwhelming ones.