DON'T GLOAT - IT MAY CUT YOUR THROAT! -- Devotional for May 11, from "Good Seeds"

Do not rejoice when your enemy meets trouble. Let there be no gladness when he falls – for the Lord may just become displeased with you and stop punishing him. (Proverbs 24:17-18)

The spectrum of wrongdoing is positively kaleidoscopic! There is the obvious law breaking, as well as everyday immoral and unethical behavior. But there is another kind of evil that is especially insidious because it lurks and stalks within the bounds of feigned righteousness. We see this in one who takes great pains to maintain his own goodness, all the while going to great lengths to point out the faults and failures of others. In a word, it is gloating, which far surpasses its close cousin, boasting, both in motive and final result. The braggert’s favorite topic of conversation is himself, whom he builds up by calling attention to his own strengths and accomplishments. No one can doubt his attitude is positive, even if self-serving. But the gloater is far cleverer: he would rather talk about others -- but it’s all negative, as he seeks to raise himself by lowering others. If he can make a case for their inferiority, this automatically establishes his superiority – and without even a trace of bragging! Consider David. As one who had “killed his ten thousands,” he had plenty of human enemies, the first of whom was a Philistine giant. When David felled him like a tree in the forest Goliath and his comrades met trouble indeed. They were the aggressors, while David was only defending his homeland. But this was war, and war means breaking things and killing people. There’s no question that David rejoiced mightily to see his enemies fall and flee. But now fast-forward to another confrontation, with another brand of enemy, the enemy within the camp. The very man David had fought to defend, his king, saw David’s noble character, and popularity, decided this represented a threat to his rule and dynasty, and so led a posse to flush him out and kill him. But the tables turned and David came upon Saul sleeping in a cave. He could have easily killed him. He didn't do it, choosing rather to make a moral appeal to his king: "I have preserved your life when I could have destroyed it." He spoke strongly, but HE DIDN'T GLOAT! Had he done so, God might have put His judgment of this errant leader on hold while He took David to the woodshed. What about us? How many times have the wheels of God’s justice concerning obvious wrongdoing in others skidded to a halt because He detected in us that far more insidious kind of wrongdoing: gloating over our enemy? And how often is that enemy a brother or sister in Christ? Remember: we have the glorious privilege of helping God keep on track in His dealings with sinners!