A Dog Returns to Its Vomit
“Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly” (Pro. 26:1). If there is one thing many people are prone to do, it is to repeat foolish behaviors. As a counselor and minister, I have repeatedly seen this kind of “backsliding.” I suppose we should not be too surprised since we know that we have a sinful nature (Rom. 3:23), not to mention that the devil will tempt us with our greatest weaknesses. The proverb highlights the importance of spiritual growth and the need to avoid returning to sinful or foolish ways after being freed from them.
The striking imagery is meant to evoke disgust in the reader, and it does precisely that for most of us. I have literally seen a dog do that, and I am sure many of you have as well. That is one of the reasons I never allow a dog to lick me in the face. What the author is trying to convey is the stupidity of straying from the path of righteousness. It is a reminder that just as the dog’s behavior is unnatural and unhealthy, so too is the tendency for a person to return to sin after knowing better. We are called to grow spiritually in wisdom and maturity and to put away our past sinful ways entirely rather than returning to them from time to time.
This concept is echoed in 2Pe. 2:20-22, “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first… What the true proverb says has happened to them: ‘The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.’” In this passage, Peter warns that those who have been saved from sin and then return to it are in a worse state than before. We may read this and question the intelligence of those who fail every now and then, but we would do well to remember that we fall into that category as well.
As Christians, we should be fully aware that falling back into old sinful habits after being redeemed can be spiritually devastating. Rom. 12:2 reminds us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” A Christian’s life should be marked by continual renewal and growth, seeking to leave behind the “old self” of sin and foolishness. We must never forget that other Christians are watching us, and even more concerning is that the “world” is as well. We know we are sinners and fail from time to time, but if that failing is too often and seemingly without any serious repenting, it definitely leaves a bad mark on Christianity.
One way you can prevent yourself from falling off the wagon, so to speak, is to stay in the Word night and day: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psa. 119:11). Immersing ourselves in Scripture helps us to avoid the temptation to return to our old ways. Another effective way of preventing ourselves from backsliding is to pray continually and fervently. We know that God listens to the prayerful righteous, so asking him for the strength to resist the devil’s temptations to sin is our best strategy: “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him” (Joh. 9:32).
We should strive daily to honor God in all we do through His Son, Jesus Christ, and with the help of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That is also the best way for our light to shine before others so they can give Him the glory He deserves.