How Guilty ARE You?

But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:62

I remember watching a farmer try to teach his son how to plow the field properly.  The cow did exactly what it was supposed to do and pulled the plow.  The son, however, kept looking back at the furrows to see if they were straight and could not understand why they weren't.  The farmer told the boy to focus on a point straight ahead of him and guide the cow toward that point and the furrow would be straight.  The boy did fine for the next couple of furrows and then he began looking back again to see how they were going and got angry that the furrows were not straight.

 

Son: "That stupid cow can't plow a straight line for anything."

 

Farmer: "It ain't the cow's fault boy. You're the one who kept looking behind instead of ahead."

 

Son: "But that stupid cow kept messing up.  That cow knew how to walk a straight line and didn't. That cow should be shot!!!  That cow is SO Stupid!  How can that idiot beast do this to ME?  Now my friends will never thing I can be a farmer."

 

Farmer: "Son, when you're finished blaming, put on your big boy pants, and stop focusing behind.  FOCUS ON WHAT'S AHEAD!  The cow goes only where you LEAD her. So stop being a jackass or I'll let you try plowing with a jackass, ya'll have a lot in common."

 

This story makes quite a number of points, but the one I want to focus on is the GUILT FACTOR.  How many times do we look at someone's past, after they have admitted their mistakes and have taken steps to correct their mistakes, but we just keep hammering the guilt factor home like a blacksmith pounds iron on his anvil.

 

When you're feeling the need to drop the guilt hammer on someone for their past faults that they have admitted to and are working to restore themselves to you, do this:

 

          Go look in the mirror and remember: "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." Romans 3:23

 

So before you break out the Guilt Hammer again, ask yourself if you are perfect.  "I'm not perfect, but as least I didn't do what THEY did!"  True, but that still doesn't make you without sin, now does it?

 

Remember the story of the Adulterous Woman in John chapter 8?  The Self-Righteous folk demanded that this woman be found guilty and then beaten with rocks until she was dead.  Was she guilty?  Absolutely. She was caught "in the very act."  So what was Jesus' response to the Self-Righteous Folk?  "If you are incapable of sin, throw the first stone" (John 8:7).  

 

What was Jesus' to the woman guilty of adultery?  "I will not condemn you.  Go and THIS sin do never again!"

 

So my question to you holding the Guilt Hammer ready to rain down destruction....how guilty are YOU?