Housebroken or heartbroken? ∙∙

Housebroken or heartbroken? ∙∙

Let me again experience the joy of your salvation! Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey! – Psalm 51:12

Psalms 51:9-12

 9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.

 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you.

What does it mean to “rub someone’s nose in it”? Essentially, it means to repeatedly and forcefully remind someone of their mistakes or failures. This involves continually bringing an error or fault to someone’s attention. As sparks fly upward, people with fallen DNA are born with a natural propensity to do this.

The phrase’s origin can be traced to housebreaking pets, particularly puppies. Traditionally, correcting a puppy’s behavior involved rubbing its nose in its mess to discourage it from repeating the mistake in an attempt to prevent future accidents. However, dog trainers have since debunked this method. They have collected a wealth of evidence demonstrating its ineffectiveness.

Housebreaking has also been applied to people, particularly men. It refers to trying to train them to behave in a more socially acceptable manner [whatever that is ;-)]. Again, does this work? Not too much. Recriminations and accusations are largely ineffective.

For both pets and people, rubbing their noses in their mistakes achieves little to nothing. Instead, shaming and blaming cause discomfort, irritation, resistance, defiance, and ultimately rebellion. There must be a better way.

Consider how the Father gently, wisely, and compassionately deals with His wayward children. Strive to emulate this approach. Positive reinforcement is far more effective than negative denigration.

King David was painfully aware of his grave error, moral failure, and sinful rebellion in his involvement with Bathsheba and Uriah. He did not need further reminders, as he was already consumed by guilt and shame. In his plea to the Father, he asks not to have his face rubbed in his grievous failures but seeks relief and restoration instead. His actions had not only brought shame and disgrace upon himself but also tarnished his nation. And what of his relationship with his heavenly Father? The scandalous gossip must have been rampant: “Have you heard about David, King David, the man after God’s own heart? What kind of a God would allow his cherry-picked leader of Israel to commit such a thing?”

His sinful behavior could have ruined or even ended his life, as both adultery and murder were capital crimes under the law of Moses, warranting the death penalty. David, of course, knew this all too well.

The burden and anguish of unconfessed sin weighed heavily on David, gnawing at him spiritually, mentally, and physically. It created a rift between him and the Father, with whom he was deeply bonded and identified. Yet, the Father never moved but remained steadfast and loyal. His loving heart and open arms were waiting to receive David back once he sought forgiveness and reconciliation.

Finally, the moment arrives for David to make amends. He boldly pleads for mercy and restoration, appealing to the Father’s gracious character and loyal love.

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father sees all, knows all, and sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to forgive and restore all.

Father, I fail You so often. Thank You for forgiving me. But more than forgiveness, I long for inner transformation. Please give me a willing, dependable, and resolute spirit. Create an inner determination to follow Your ways.

INSIGHT

David had discovered and understood one of the profound open secrets of the Father’s heart. Although the Father established the sacrificial system, He did not take pleasure in animal sacrifices. The Father had no desire to see animals killed. Then why the sacrifices?

The death of innocent, unblemished animals served as an object lesson. What are we to learn from this bloody and somewhat gruesome practice?

Sin is grievous and can warrant severe consequences, including death in some cases. The Father does not desire or take pleasure in the death of animals. Instead, He desires repentance, particularly a broken and contrite heart.

The Father does not overlook or excuse sin, and He does not want the children of the King to do so either. He wants His children to face and address it. Outward actions are less critical than inward reflection. We are to search our hearts and acknowledge the wickedness of our sinful behavior. The Father desires that every child of the King gets their heart right with Him.

The Father wastes nothing in our lives. He uses our experiences for personal development and growth. Each of us has countless shameful acts and memories from the past that trouble us while we are awake and haunt us while we sleep. While we cannot undo or redo the past, we can strive to do better going forward.

Housebroken or heartbroken? The choice is ours.

Psalms 32:1-5

 1 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!

 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

 3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.

 5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

The Father sent the Holy Spirit not to condemn, shame, or rub our noses in it. Instead, He is firm yet gentle, aiming to encourage us to make things right. The Holy Spirit was sent to convict us of sin (John 16:5-8).

John 16:8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.

The Greek word translated as “convict” is elegcho. Elegcho means to bring to light, expose, and convince. It is frequently translated as “prove . . . wrong” (NEB), “show . . . how wrong it was” (JB), “bring conviction” (Gdsp), and “convince” (Phps). The GeCL translates it as “he will show that the men on earth have wrong ideas about sin, about God’s righteousness, and his judgment” (UBS).

The Holy Spirit exposes and reveals our sin, bringing it to light so that we can recognize our wrongdoing. And what about us? How do we treat others? Do we handle others as the Father does, with grace and compassion, or are we prone to rubbing their noses in their mistakes?

Galatians 6:1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 5-14-3