Do you ever find that you’re happy, or get some kind of pleasure out of seeing bad things happen to those you don’t like? The feeling can be even more satisfying if you consider the person your enemy. I confess, I’ve been there before. I’ve taken pleasure in seeing something bad happen to someone I didn’t like or respect. Nothing seriously bad mind you, just something to show that they’re “getting what they deserve” when they act in a way that displeases me. When I did, I had to later repent because the bible warns us against that way of thinking. Proverbs 24:17 says:
"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice."
Even if you think a person deserves what they got, we are not to be happy when something bad happens to them. Actually, when we begin to gloat, I believe that we are exhibiting a form of pride. And pride is never a Godly attribute. Proverbs goes on to say, that if we do gloat when our enemy falls, the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him. So again, let God deal with or enemies or the people who rub us wrong. Our hearts should not rejoice, because that isn’t what pleases God. And as I’ve shared, there is a consequence if we do.
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“Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice.” Even if they are someone who persecutes you, we are not to rejoice when something bad happens to them. This even applies to the persecuted church - Christians who are put in prison or beaten because they believe in Jesus. In spite of what happens to us, or our feelings about another person and their behavior, we are not to gloat when something bad happens to them.