Accountability is an
essential principle for life. In the time of Moses, the Lord gave us the Ten
Commandments. When speaking of not worshipping idols, the Lord tell us that for
those who break this commandment, He will be "visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that
hate me" (Exodus 20:5).
This does not mean
that the children will be held accountable for the sins of their parents. What
it means is that the parents need to remember how accountable they are for
their own actions. The wickedness of parents has a powerful influence on the
level of righteousness among their descendants. Each individual does have
agency and can choose to be righteous despite the iniquities of their parents.
However, a negative example from parents - the people a child generally trusts
the most - does have a large impact on how that child views the world. The
teachings and example of parents can shape the views of children regarding what
is right and what is wrong. Therefore, each of us must be continually aware of
the influence we have on others through our teachings and actions - influences
that will be felt unto the third and fourth generation and beyond.
Another example of
accountability for our influence is found in Exodus 28:38 as well as Jacob
1:19. From Jacob we hear this example of taking accountability upon himself:
"And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the
responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did
not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with
our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood
would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last
day." Due to the offices that Jacob and Aaron held, with the responsibility to help the people draw nearer to the Lord, each will be held accountable for his diligence in doing so. When
the Lord sees each of us in the final judgment, He will ask for an accounting
of what we've done with the responsibilities He has given us. This means we
will be accountable for whether we've done all we can to become better each day
- in family life, church callings, academics, spiritual studies, career pursuits,
and all else that He has asked of us.
This may sound like
a tall order… but that's exactly what life is! God has commanded us to be like
Him - to become perfect. He will hold us accountable for whether we're trying
to become more like Him each day or not. The greatest news is that our Savior, who is all-powerful, will give us the extra boost that each of us requires. We cannot become perfect, as God wants us to be, without His help. I am so grateful that He is so willing and desirous to give us His grace. That power will enable each of us to be what the Lord wants us to be if we rely upon Him.
