Accountable

Text: “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’” (Luke 12:20)

Accountability is a word that many people do not understand. Some people do things and never give consideration to the fact that at some point, they will have to answer for their actions. Each one of us is responsible for what we do. Each of us will have to explain our actions to Almighty God.

There are people who do not believe that God is in control and that He knows every thing they do. He knows the good as well as the bad. They will carry on actions with the thought that no one will know. Other people may not know, but God does know.

When we do things contrary to His Word, we are accountable. Jesus tells us about a man, a rich fool, who had his priorities all out of order. He was very concerned about worldly things instead of divine things. He was interested in all he could get, what earthly possessions he could acquire, and how well off he would be with more stuff. This man was committing one of the seven deadly sins and that is the sin of greed

Story: “He Left It All”

A famous millionaire died of cancer. For weeks he suffered intolerable agony. Although surrounded by every luxury and receiving every possible care, he died as wretchedly as a pauper. There was the usual publicity, flowers, telegrams, an expensive bronze casket and a towering beautifully carved tombstone.

After the funeral a relative turned to another and said, “How much do you suppose that Harry left?” Back came the reply, “He left everything he had.”

Yes, Harry could take not one thing with him. He worked harder than a slave would. He grasped, saved, cheated, lied and where legally possible, he stole as he amassed his great fortune. He lived for self. He left all he had. He faced God without hope or plea. Harry was a poor fool. “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

-----------------------C. Leslie Miller, in Gospel Herald

At some time in life, we all fall into this frame of mind. When we are young and foolish, we think we need everything our eyes encounter. We fail to realize or understand or believe God when He says, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)

Many people are more concerned about worldly things and worldly stuff than their destiny. People make wills leaving their worldly possessions to certain individuals, charities, or churches. This is wonderful and good. A will is supposed to prevent family and friends from fighting over the possessions of the deceased.

Although the will is a good thing and follows the law, people still tend to want what they are not entitled to or what they think is theirs. There are people who have gone to court to acquire worldly possession. They sound like the man in the crowd who said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (v. 13).

In this verse of Scripture, the one who spoke these words to the Teacher was probably the younger Jewish son who realized that his brother, being older, was going to receive a double portion of his father’s estate. It sounds as though the older son was not about to part with more of the inheritance than required. Both of these sons appear to be greedy with earthly possessions. The same thing goes on this very day.

Everything we have belongs to God. We own nothing. We are only given the privilege of using what God has provided. We are not to hoard things or stuff. When we do, we are placing these things before Almighty God. We are making these items our god. We are accumulating treasures on earth when in reality we should be accumulating treasures in heaven.

Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

Storing up material possessions on earth are earthly treasures. Storing up heavenly treasures comes about when we carry on acts of obedience to God. We are to follow the examples set before us by Jesus when He walked the face of the earth.