Alaskans know the value of tires with good traction. I recently had to buy some new ones for my F-150 pick-up truck and discovered that even though ‘talk is cheap’ good tires ain’t. While new tires may be spendy, they are far less costly than what would happen if we were to drive Alaska’s winter roads on bad ones.

 

   Many people in Alaska feel that the need for traction is more important that merely having good quality tires. They take the additional precaution of having their tires equipped with metal studs for even greater traction on nasty icy roads. They want a tire that will not merely ‘cling’ to the road; they want one that will ‘dig-in’ to the road. That is not a bad line of reasoning. A great deal is riding on those tires and it makes sense to get where we are going in one piece.

 

   The narrow road can sometimes be slippery as well with many forces working to shove us into the ditch. We have a devil and his demonic minions working overtime to divert us from our course. We have our own self-centered flesh with its own anti-spiritual agenda wanting to drag us away from an eternal to a temporal focus. We have a world driven by the spirit of anti-Christ bent on compromise and erosion of all moral absolutes and a desire to make all that is vile and corrupt ‘good’ and all that is good ‘bad’.

 

   Our four tires could be viewed as; our prayer life, our time in God’s word, participation in the local church, devotion to service in the kingdom of God. Riding on these particular tires will ensure that you will be traveling down the narrow road on very good dependable tires. But if one wanted to go for that extra bit of grip and grab on that treacherous trail, it might be good to get those tires studded.

 

   It has been my personal experience that there are no better ice grippers in you spiritual tires than a good set of godly friends. These friends are not casual acquaintances. They are not the people you smile and wave at in church. They are not the people you sometimes sit with at the potluck. They are people that are deeply embedded in your Christian ‘tires’ and help you get the best traction on the narrow road as possible.

 

   They are embedded in your; prayer life, your bible study, your involvement at church and your service in God’s work. These are people in whom you can confide. They are people that you can ‘bounce things off of’. They are people who can give you encouragement and also give you criticism when needed.

 

   There is really only one surefire way to get them embedded in your life and that is through the word ‘accountability’. There are people in your church that would be more than willing to help you in areas where you need that ‘extra traction’. It may seem strange and awkward at first, but you will be amazed if you simply walk up to that person whom you admire for their strength of character in some regard and simply ask them to help you. Put them in your spiritual tires! Say something like this; “I am really bad about getting to church on time. I want to be there but I am so lazy on Sunday morning that I can’t seem to drag myself out of the sack. I know I need a little more accountability in this area, would you be willing to call me on Sunday mornings and make sure I am up?

   I guarantee you that that person who may have been next to a stranger to you at church will suddenly become one of your best friends. That does not necessarily mean best 'hang out with pal'. Their friendship may be primarily centered around this one accountability issue but it will be a very valuable friendship. Who knows, they may also like fishing or your favorite sport also. Ask them if they have an area where you can help them be accountable. When we are vulnerable and reveal our weaknesses to each other and seek to be strengthened, we find that that narrow road is not nearly as slippery as we had first believed!

  Try these questions out for starters; “I have been trying to read at least a chapter a day from the Bible. Would you mind if I called you a couple of times a week and report what chapters I’ve read and what I got out of it? I would also love to hear what you are reading and what you have gotten from it as well.”

 

   “I have been telling myself for months that I am going to start walking down the street in my neighborhood and pray over the families in each home. I know it is a good thing and that the Lord put it in my heart to do but I never seem to be able to get started and stick with it. Will you occasionally ask me about it and make sure I follow through? I know if someone is helping to hold me accountable it will be a lot easier to get going.”

 

   Give people permission to ask you good, strong pointed questions regarding each and every aspect of your life. Invite them to hold you accountable. Intentionally seek out a couple of people to give that kick in the backside once in a while. Ironically, it is not always your best buddies and pals that will be your best accountability people. Sometimes it is that elderly saint whom you see all the time in church but hardly ever talk to. They may not know you like your friends do but that is in many cases better. They are interested in helping you grow in the area you are seeking help in. The relationship may never become one of being best friends. But you will certainly notice the difference in traction as you travel the narrow road. Others will be happy you helped them as well.