The concern for accountability

YES, we should all have an abiding concern for accounting everything that we are and that we have. We just cannot go on with our life as if we are not answerable to anybody, especially to God, from whom we all come and to whom we all belong.

This is an indispensable part of our life, an unrelinquishable duty to perform. Our problem is that many still are ignorant of this duty, and of those who already know about this, the tendency is to take it for granted or to do it badly or to avoid it if always given the chance.

We need to find a way of instilling this duty in everyone, starting with oneself and then encouraging others to do the same, in the context of the families, schools, parishes, offices, etc.

We always have to remember that what we are and what we have are not self-generated but are always given to us one way or another, if not by someone or by some other institution and authority, then by God ultimately.

Yes, we are always answerable to some people in varying ways and degrees. These people can be our parents, teachers, friends, neighbors, public officials, etc. In the end, we are all answerable to God who has given us everything, starting with our life and all the endowments that go with our life.

We need to smash the thought that what we are and what we have are just our own. That is a thinking that is completely false, that stands on no objective foundation. It needs to be corrected drastically and urgently.

Sad to say, it is a thinking that is quite prevalent these days. And so we need to be constantly reminded of this truth, because we always tend to ignore if not openly deny it.

We have to be most aware of where we come from, what dignity and status we are given, what duties and responsibilities are entrusted to us, etc. And let’s remember that we need to handle them properly.

That is to say, that we are keenly aware of the purpose or reason the giver or author has when giving us what we are and what we have. And we should try to make use of them in the best way we can, making them as productive as possible.

Since man’s creation, God our creator has always told us to be fruitful. “Be fruitful and multiply,” he said. “Fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky…” (Gen 1,28)

And this command has been constantly reiterated all the way to Christ who in many parables told us clearly to be fruitful. The parable of the three servants (cfr Mt 25,14-30) is one example among many.

We have to learn how to be accountable to God and to others. One concrete way of doing that is by making a daily examination of conscience before going to bed. This will allow us to see how we fared during the day, whether we were fruitful or not, and to make the necessary plans for the following day.

“Without cost you have received. Without cost you are to give.” (Mt 10,8) For sure, with these words of Christ, we are strongly reminded to be generous, to give ourselves completely to God and to others, sparing and keeping nothing for ourselves, because God has been generous with us. He gave nothing less than himself to us. And he wants us to share what we have with everybody else.

This should be the attitude we ought to develop when we have an abiding concern for accounting all that we have received from God.