Most things are better with someone else there to share in the fun instead of going it alone. When I was a kid and played dress up or pretended that I was a princess or genie, it was never as much fun unless I had a friend to play with me. I don't enjoy going to a movie or out to dinner alone. There's no one to talk to about how awesome the movie was or how great the food tasted. It's always more enjoyable to have someone else along to share in the experience.

God didn't want to us to be alone either, which is why he created Eve to be with Adam. He created us to be in community with others and not live as hermits. Sharing goes far beyond toys, meals, and movies. It's important that we also share our feelings, hurts, and struggles with other people because having someone to be accountable to will help us grow as individuals in Christ.

Communicating our innermost feelings and struggles can be difficult and scary, mostly because we are afraid of being judged and criticized by the person we are expressing ourselves to. The point of an accountability partner or group is not for them to look down on us for what we've done wrong. The purpose is to have someone who will encourage us through whatever we're dealing with and help strengthen us to live holier lifestyles.

Galatians 6:2 says that we are to "carry each others burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Accountability partners lighten the load by helping us through the struggle. They aren't meant to make the load worse through condemnation. It's a lot easier to deal with difficult situations when another person is there to encourage us. Sharing with other people shows that we trust someone else enough to care about our situation, and it shows that we care enough about ourselves to make a change in our lives by letting others help keep us on the right path.

Support systems don't just make dealing with struggles easier, they make doing school work easier, playing sports easier, working a career easier. They just make life easier. The load on our shoulders becomes less when someone else is there to help carry it. And that's how God made it to be. Jesus recruited twelve disciples so they would have a support system, and we need to make sure we have a trustworthy support system as well. It makes the ride less isolated and a lot more enjoyable.

Sarah Smith grew up in Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with an English degree. She loves being a child of God and serving in missions. She has gone on trips to Germany and London and served a recent term of five and half months in London as a missionary intern. She recently applied to seminary and is looking forward to attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall to study Christian Counseling.