A Lesson From Our Dog

Our dog did something the other day that she ought not to have done. She went into the dark hallway, squatted down, and peed all over the floor. Dumb dog! I just took her outside, but NO, she had to pee on the floor. Again! She knew what she was doing. She knew she wasn't supposed to it. When she saw me as she came out of the hallway, she walked very slowly, slinking along. She knew she was going to get yelled at and then whapped in the head!

Sometimes dogs just aren't very smart.

Sometimes people just aren't very smart too.

Isn't that exactly what we do in struggling with sin sometimes? God shows us the way. His word gives us instruction about what pleases and displeases Him. He writes in our hearts His commandments. He gives us the Holy Spirit to guide us. Is that good enough for us? Of course not! We go ahead and do something we ought not do, knowing full well that its sinful, and knowing full well that we're going to feel it later.

So what happens? We slink back out of the dark hallway we snuck into for a while, hoping that God wouldn't see us -- back out into the light. Then we get a talking to by the spirit that says "I told you," followed quickly by a smack upside the head with the rolled up newspaper of guilt.

I think we're just slower learners than dogs.