Accountability or Advocacy?

            Christian circles often emphasize accountability as a crucial component of spiritual growth. The idea is that we should not be able to live an invisible life that escapes the scrutiny of someone else. However, when I think of how God (and Jesus) interacted with his people, accountability does not seem like a word to describe this relationship. I think a better word is advocacy.

            God is our advocate. He is our defender and he points us in the direction we should go. I think the model of advocacy is a much better way of understanding how we are to support one another. Our task is to advocate for our Christian brothers and sisters, providing refuge during hard times while also providing caring encouragement to venture out in new ways. Therapy should not just be about accountability, but should be about advocating for people to become who God has called them to be.

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