Accountability & Commitment: An interview with Peter Baran

Do you know that the concept of accountability, as presented in the Old Testament, is radically reversed by Jesus in the New Testament?  Instead of obedience to rigid laws of right and wrong, Jesus offers heart transformational opportunities and invites believers to pursue the fruit of the Spirit, thus identifying nine specific measures for spiritual growth and satisfaction.

Moral laws, and making right choices, surpass all other accountability and commitment measures.

Pete Baran’s Story…

Pete Baran shares a heartwarming story involving two rock climbers ready to be the first to free climb the Dawn Wall, a 3,000-foot vertical rock face in Yosemite. Just prior to the climb, one rock climber needed to be replaced by someone less experienced. Near the top, the new climber was exhausted and unable to cross a particularly dangerous pitch. The lead climber raced on, but a few feet from the top, he stopped, paused and asked himself a question.

“Is this the right thing to do?” Then he retraced his steps, and helped the exhausted climber cross the treacherous stretch of rockface thousands of feet in the air and reach the top.

 “We’re a team. We, not I, committed to making this climb together and making history together.” 

Pete’s father grew up on a meager homestead in Saskatchewan, where carpetbaggers swindled his immigrant parents of their savings. Although the family had followed God, this experience tainted his dad’s opinion about religion, which led to Pete’s childhood reluctance to turn towards God. Finally, God got a hold of him. Sixteen years ago, Pete gave his life to Christ.

He has been Vice-President or Director in more than one Fortune 500 company, but currently is Chair of CCBF Board and runs his own business, Blueneck Consulting.

 When asked for his favourite book, he replied, “one of my colleagues always points to his bible when asked for his business plan. I agree with him!”

“I do a lot of coaching,” Pete says, “and I often hear employers talk about accountability as something negative, or a power struggle with employees.  But that’s not God’s way. God is gentle and kind, inviting us to share His purpose. Being accountable for something should instead be an honour where someone has placed their faith in you, believing that you can do it! It is also an opportunity to discover how much more we are truly capable of being. We should commit to our responsibilities joyfully because this is how God helps us to grow. God is constantly encouraging as He comes alongside of us, demonstrating that He has faith in us, trusts us to do what is right and wants to see us build better relationships.

That’s not how many non-Christian business leaders operate. Accountability, for them, means fulfilling minimum requirements to avoid legal, tax or government penalties. That motivation breeds distrust. It’s stressful and fear driven. Even worse, it’s de-humanizing. God does not ask of us the least we can do; He asks more of us!

In the Old Testament, the Pharisees demand that hundreds of laws be meticulously kept.  Condemnation for failing to be righteous is inevitable and commitment to this level of perfection is both frustrating and impossible.

Jesus gloriously overcomes this legalistic dilemma. We read about a transformational way of understanding accountability in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.” Instead of legalism, we learn here that accountability is truly a precious gift, not a demanding, negative responsibility to be endured.

Why is it a gift? It nourishes strong relationships, strengthens confidence, expands team spirit and radiates God’s trust in us, and our trust in others.  All these blessings humanize us and strengthen our dependence on God.  As we seek to become more like Jesus, we grow in compassion.

Biblical Principles…

• In the New Testament, accountability is a heart issue. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5: 22-23
• Trust matters. “Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5-6

In conclusion, once you recognize that accountability is a treasured and beautiful gift, you will delight in it. Why? It is used to build others up, and to show that we have faith in them. 

“You can do it! I have faith in you! I trust you!” should become frequent phrases on our lips, as we encourage others, emulating how Jesus continually lifts us up, builds us up, and encourages us to build trust relationships, and pursue His purposes with loving passionate intentionality!

“Connecting your Sunday Faith to your Monday Work” The Canadian Christian Business Federation exists to support business leaders in the study and application of Biblical Leadership Principles with peers in order to transform lives, strengthen businesses, and positively influence and impact our world. www.ccbf.org

Nancy Kingdon is an author and freelance writer who writes and donates these stories as a gift to the CCBF ministry.  She may be reached through: www.writinglegacy.com