Rubbing your nose in it.

There is a phrase we use from time to time that has it's origins in housebreaking dogs. The practice is that of rubbing a dog's nose in whatever type of mess it makes as it learns to do it's business outside rather than inside the house. The phrase is "rubbing your nose in it." We frequently use the term in a shortened version when we tell someone "don't rub it in." We tell people this phrase when we've messed up and they continue to remind us of our failure. Why do we ask them to stop? Because no one likes to be reminded of their failures. It can be depressing and discouraging to be reminded of those failures that brought us pain and embarrassment. But what about if the one "rubbing it in" is the Creator of the Universe? What then?

About 7 months ago, I really felt like God was speaking to me about something in my life and I told God I would pray about it for about 6 months and see where He was leading. For a few weeks I prayed, somewhat consistently, about it. But since it wasn't something I was particularly excited about, I put it on the back burner of my prayer life and revisited it very rarely. I mean almost never. Fast forward to a month ago. To just about the time I should have finished praying over this prayer concern. I had put this item so far back on the back burner that the house would've already been burnt down because I seemed to have forgotten it. For the next few weeks God made me absolutely miserable. Anything pertaining to things around this prayer concern made me miserable. I couldn't figure out what was going on or why I was so miserable. I sat down to talk with a pastor friend I go to for advice and as we talked I figured out why I was so miserable. I was miserable because I had avoided praying for something God had clearly showed me I needed to pray about. After talking with my friend I had a new perspective on this prayer concern and a fresh commitment to pray about this concern. After I received this new perspective and commitment to pray, it seemed like God started to rub my nose in my decision not to pray months ago about something He wanted me to pray about. Every time I turned around it seemed like God was saying, "See here's another example of why you should've been serious about praying months ago!" I even told my wife that God didn't need to rub it in anymore because I understood that I had messed up.

So what do we do when we find the Creator of the Universe rubbing our nose in something? We take it like a big boy or big girl and learn from it. When God reminds us of a failure that could've been avoided if we would have followed His counsel, then we ought to see it not as punishment but discipline. One definition of discipline is "training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character." This is what God is doing when He reminds us of those things we should have followed His lead on. Proverbs 3:11-12 (NIV) says, "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." As a loving Heavenly Father, God is not punishing us by reminding us of a failure, but instead using it to discipline us so we won't make the same mistake again. He is simply correcting and molding us so we will better follow His lead the next time.

Coming from a guy who learned this valuable lesson the hard way, I encourage you to take my advice. Listen to what God tells you to do or what you agree to do for God! It is much better to do what you should than to have God rubbing it in when you realize you should've done it in the first place!


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