My Issue with Gloating
When I was in the sixth grade, half of my school year was spent being bullied by one girl. I’m not sure why she chose me to harass, but she made that school year miserable for me. Years later, when we were both around 18, I happened to see her when she came into where I worked. She had already had two kids by that time. Believe it or not, she and I spoke as if we had been old friends. But I couldn’t wait to tell everyone how she had already had two children by the age of 18. I was gloating. I was rejoicing in the fact that her life had seemed to take a downward turn.
Even a few years later, whenever the talk of bullies came up I would talk about her. I would tell people how my life is great and I was free and moving up career-wise while she was a single mom at the age of 18. I felt that I was the one that had won. Again, I was gloating which we are commanded to not do.
Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
Proverbs 24:17 (NIV)
My Relationship with God Changed That
After I started to build a relationship with God, I started to think about her again. I wondered why I was so happy to see that she had two children by the age of 18. She was a child at the time she had those children, and it actually bothered me.
Now, when I talk about this with my daughter, I tell her that I feel that something may have been going on at home, causing her to take it out on me. I don’t think she was abused, but she was possibly neglected. I don’t know and I doubt I ever will. When I look at the situation now, I feel a lot of empathy for her. I’m actually very happy that when we saw each other at age 18, we were very pleasant with each other.
My Heart Is Different
Recently, someone close to me was being bothered a lot by another person. Even though I was angry, I never wished anything bad on this other person. Instead, I prayed for that person and I still do. When I found out that this other person was feeling very sad about something and that others were gloating, it actually hurt me to hear it. My feelings were a surprise to me. I should be upset with this person and I felt like in the past I would have said, “Well that’s what she gets.” But that’s not how I feel at all now. I actually am praying for her and my heart really hurts for her.
What caused this change within me? It is the pure love of Jesus Christ. When I accepted Christ, I asked Him to fill my spirit with His. I want to love who He loves. To do this, I asked Him, and I still ask Him, to change my hard heart. I want to have compassion, patience, and love.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:15 (NIV)
God Offers Forgiveness, So Should We
I was forgiven by the grace of God and I want to be a forgiving person. I want to reach out when someone is hurt. Gloating is a form of pride and pride leads to destruction.
Gloat – contemplate or dwell on one’s own success or another’s misfortune with smugness or malignant pleasure.
Google Dictionary18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.
Proverbs 16:18-19 (NIV)
Without knowing it, my heart was changing. It is because of my love for Jesus and my faith in Him. I continue to read the Word and seek understanding. Throughout the day, I reach out in prayer, asking for my heart to be like His. I remind myself constantly of his tremendous sacrifice for me and how He forgave me, even when I’d turned my back.
God is working on me and I am displaying the fruits of that work. When you begin to feel that twinge of pride, call out to Him. Ask him to help you overcome the sense of pride that leads to gloating and other forms of negativity. Do not bring destruction upon yourself.
Have a blessed and prosperous week!