Accountability

I have a friend at work, Bruce by name, who does a great job at keeping me accountable.  He may not know it but his faith and the fact that he is bold in it is such a great inspiration to me at work.  We have spoken in depth about the value of accountability and the value/necessity of accountability in the workplace.  It was Bruce who reaffirmed to me the value of public commitment.  It is for these reasons that I am taking the following steps;
1. I am committing to running every day for the next 3 weeks.  This is a rain/shine, tired, sick, don't feel like it pity me commitment.  I know that I tend to provide excuses for myself and I feel a public commitment is the best way to provide accountability :)
2. I am committing to reading my Bible every day for the next 3 weeks.  The same as #1 but obviously much more important.
3. I will answer honestly anyone who asks me.  Honesty is not the problem.  I hope those of you who know me realize that if you were to ask me I would definitely answer you honestly.
4. I will encourage those who ask me to publicly acknowledge my answer. Simply put I encourage all who have read this to publicly acknowledge my answer.  Put it on your facebook status that I either did or didn't fulfill my commitment.  The reason for this is this is not just a commitment for myself, it is a commitment to all those who I hope to represent/defend.


WHY??
For those of you who don't know I am planning to enter the Marines as an Officer.  This is something that is hard to express with clarity the reasons for doing so but at the same time I am without reservation, 100% committed to becoming.  I feel that God has gifted me in ways that I don't fully comprehend but I feel like I am the one getting in the way. I know that I lack discipline and this is just one of many reasons that I am joining.  Obviously my choice of the Marines speaks for itself but you may ask what this has to do with accountability.  The plain and simple fact is this...I NEED to prove to myself and to those I will serve in the future that I can do this.  I need to be able to look back at this time in my life and speak freely about my transition to the man I will be.  I asked a dear friend of mine, currently a Marine on active duty/deployment, if he thought it would be a good idea, or if he felt like it would be a good fit.  His response was simple and profound, "I would follow you into combat."  Imagine that kind of responsibility...imagine that kind of faith?  To this day I am blown away by the implications of those 6 words.  The responsibility is not limited to that individual either.  I happen to know that Marines family...it is to them that I must prove that I can do this.  I know people who happen to love that Marine...it is to them that I will be held liable.  I know that my heavenly father cares for that Marine like no-one here on Earth is capable of...and it is to Him that I will ultimately answer to.  The reality of my current situation was revealed to me by my father, though I am sure he didn't realize it at the time.  He was in the Air Force and he had said that never in his life before that time, or since, has he ever been better prepared to accomplish his required expectations.  


So the reality is as follows;


I need to prove to myself and those I love/one day will serve that I understand that I may not always have the answers but that the USMC and more importantly my Father in heaven have prepared me to accomplish a task.  
I will demonstrate servant leadership in all I do and expect those who I serve to follow the example I set.
I will be a life-long learner in the attempts to maximize my understanding and thereby increase my efficacy as a leader.
I will promise to serve faithfully my faith, my family, and my country.

This is my commitment.  It is up to the ones that I love, the ones that I have entrusted my heart to, and the ones who know what I can be to hold me accountable to my commitment.