If you believe God owns everything, you should be willing to open your checkbook to anyone.

I made that comment at a Promise Keepers conference in Atlanta about ten years ago. When I said it, a guy sitting behind one of my staff members muttered, “Ain’t nobody gonna look at my checkbook,” provoking laughter. I finished by remind the attendees that the “Seven Promises” included the commitment to be accountable to others.

You may wonder, Why should I reveal such intensely personal information? The biggest reason is that most Americans’ financial affairs are in pretty poor order. Becoming accountable may help you gain control of your finances and avoid future disaster.

When I appear on radio talk shows, 70-80 percent of the phone calls come from people in distress over debt or out-of-control spending. The time to address such problems is before they reach the crisis stage.

Statistics show that 80 percent of Americans have more debts than assets. If that weren’t bad enough, the average household spends 18 percent of its disposable income on credit card bills.

The good news is that most people don’t know that their net worth is below zero (just kidding). Seriously, you won’t solve any problem until you recognize you have one. If you’re committed to erasing debt, the starting point is to face reality.

But there’s more to a checkbook review than just paying off debt. You must also reveal such intimate details as tithing, impulse spending and providing wisely for your family.

Now, I don’t meant o literally open your checkbook register. I recommend using your monthly budget, or preparing a recap of the previous month’s spending, for a personal accountability session.

If you are the one submitting, it will help you grow up. There isn’t anybody who hasn’t made some dumb financial decisions. But a willingness to deal with life’s mistakes is also a major step toward maturity.

The person providing the oversight needs humility and an awareness of the awesome responsibility. Good counseling skills are helpful, too.

The latter points out that this job involves asking questions, not handing out a list of answers. Asking questions to lead someone to self-realization is how change occurs, not through strict orders.

I recommend both husband and wife go to the session. Ideally, a couple will have the kind of communication where they can share openly about failures and successes. If you don’t have that kind of relationship with your spouse, though, it’s better for you to go alone than to do nothing.

In some cases the wife handles the checkbook and the man needs awareness of monthly outlays. Besides the knowledge he will gain from this exercise, I think such men also need to assume control of the checkbook for some period of time. While there are exceptions, generally women don’t have the same perspective about their income. Many wives feel less secure than the husband about handling the checkbook.

Is it enough for spouses to be accountable to one another for household finances, rather than an outside person? Probably not. Each partner has a vested interest, which doesn’t make for very good accountability. I recommend couple have regular review sessions with a counselor. Even for well-to-do couples who are not on the edge of disaster, I recommend three or four sessions per year to keep them on track.

Scripture refers to the wisdom of counselors, such as Proverbs 11:14 that says there is safety in an abundance of counselors. But be careful. While you need wise counsel, only you can make the decision to get yourself out of financial trouble, or avoid it. Opening your checkbook is a great way to start.