Be Delighted in Your Enemy’s Failures

It's not like I wanted them to get hit by a bus or anything but I did feel great delight everytime their favourite football team lost.

Proverbs 24:1-34

Reference:  v.17  Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice (NIV Bible)

Explore:  I often amaze myself at how petty I can get when I am hurt.  There was someone I used to attend church with who hurt me by totally breaking my trust in them.  From then on, just within my heart, I always wished bad for them.  It's not like I wanted them to get hit by a bus or anything but I did feel great delight everytime their favourite football team lost.  Every little bit of pain they experienced I felt was justified because they had hurt me.

Application:  When Jesus was instructing his disciples it will come to no surprise to you to know that He did not say, "Be delighted in your enemy's failures".  In fact he said that we were to love our enemies.  I guess that rules out rejoicing when their footy team loses!  Often when we are hurt we easily slip into petty behaviours. The wisdom given to us from the Old Testament and the New Testament instructs us not to do so.  It explains that God is to be the judge, not us.  While that does not stop us from feeling hurt, it does hold us accountable for our behaviour as we respond to that hurt.

Prayer:  Lord, when you walked this earth you were rejected by everyone.  You understand what it is to be hurt.  May we look to You as we strive to act in a Godly way towards those who hurt us.  Amen. 

Are you rejoicing over someone else's failure?  

Proverbs