I really enjoyed speaking to you students last night about the importance of accountability.  It is important that we have someone to watch our back.  Here is the story that I shared with you regarding Coach Mike Krzyzewski, currently the men’s basketball coach at Duke University.  Coach Mike Krzyzewski relates a story that illustrates this principle beautifully.  Two of his freshman players, Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alerie, were late for a team bus.

Coach K remembers: “We didn’t know where they were, they had not called, and every other member of the team was on time.  So we left them behind.  Eventually the two caught up with us, and I remember being ready to hammer them.  But after hearing that they had overslept, I began to wonder why other members of our team had not checked up on them.”

I can tell you why the other teammates didn’t check on them:  They didn’t want to make those guys (Dawkins & Alerie) mad at them for waking them up!  They were more concerned about the friendship than they were the friend.  Students, this weekend, as you spend time with your friends, evaluate each relationship on this basis:  Can you speak the truth in love to that friend?  Can he or she speak the truth in love to you?  What has the higher priority in your relationship:  love or acceptance?  Praying for you all, have a great weekend!

source:  Max Q by Andy Stanley & Stuart Hall