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Hah! They Deserved that!

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” – 1 Corinthians 13:6-7

Have you ever experienced schadenfreude?

Webster defines schadenfreude as

“enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others.”

For example, somebody cuts you off in traffic and then speeds off. Then a half-mile down the road you see them pulled off the road with a flat tire. “Ha!” you say,

“They deserve it!”

Love doesn’t delight in evil.

Sure a flat tire isn’t what we would call evil, but what about our delighting in the other person’s harm?

How would love respond in that situation? Would it taunt them or pull over and help?

Sure, there’s more to delighting in evil than celebrating someone’s trouble. We can all name people who we would say delighted in evil, like Hitler, Stalin, or Jeffrey Dahmer. However, schadenfreude is a part of it and probably something we are more familiar with.

Where might you struggle with schadenfreude and how can you change that?

Dear Jesus,

I have sinned against You. I have hurt You and sought to rebel against You and Your commands. Yet, You did not delight in my destruction. You came and suffered and died for sin so that I could be forgiven and restored. Please forgive me and renew me. Then help me to see others as You see them, to love them even when they hurt me or I think they deserve harm. Help me to love.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt