We were reflecting yesterday on the human propensity to delight in the misfortunes of others. This propensity arises from the deep competitive inclination that has been ingrained in human beings since they first fell away from God. Tyre and Jerusalem were two of the main cities in that part of the Middle East and it is natural that there would have been a great deal of rivalry between them as they both sought to dominate the region. When Jerusalem fell, therefore, the leaders in Tyre gloated. They saw the tragedy of the Jews as an advantage to themselves. But when you play this game of competitive living you never win. Even if you come out on top you lose in the end because you are playing a game that is far beneath human dignity to play. The moment you gloat over someone’s misfortune you yourself are descending into a base state of mind that is more animal than human. Those who live like this, live a degraded life. It is a life full of anxiety because there is no security so long as there is someone better or more successful than you, and there will always be someone better or more successful than you. Moreover, when we live like this, we live a life that is condemned by God as a waste of our humanity. God is offering us a better way of living and it begins with us giving all our ambitions over to him.
Have you felt threatened by someone else lately? Pray for them to be more blessed than they already are.
Read Ezekiel 26
