We have a problem: we like to help people.

Okay, that’s not a problem: it’s actually a good thing. We are supposed to come alongside one another and be a help to one another.

Galatians 6:1a, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness...” 

The problem is, sometimes we let other people’s problems become our problems in a way that is not healthy or godly. This is where the second part of Gal. 6:1 comes in:

Galatians 6:1b, “…considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

You should be concerned for the spiritual lives of other people! But you must never let that concern become so great that you are drawn away from your own personal walk with God. Your primary spiritual concern must be with your own walk with God. 

In Proverbs 24:15-20, we are called to make three choices that are crucial to maintaining the right focus on the Lord.

Choice #1: Be Strong.

Proverbs 24:15-16, “Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: for a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”

The wicked man is told here that plotting against the righteous is a complete waste of time. He might succeed, but the righteous man will get back up every time. The righteous man gets up after falling “seven times,” meaning that his strength is complete.

This passage is not so much condemning unkindness as it is highlighting the strength of the righteous and his ability to get back up when he falls.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually feel like I can get back up every single time. Where are we supposed to get this strength?

Proverbs 14:2 “He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.”

Strength comes from fearing God. It is only by trusting in Him and rejecting our own attempts at being strong that we will be able to get back up again and again.

Do you want to be strong? Trust in the Lord, and He will give you strength to walk with Him in every circumstance (Prov. 3:5-6, Is. 40:29-31).

Choice #2: Be Compassionate.

Proverbs 24:17-18, “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.”

Solomon is not calling us to be malicious and hope that if we don’t rejoice, God will continue to punish our enemies. It’s clear that taking pleasure in someone else’s pain (even your enemy’s pain) would be displeasing to God. Rather, Solomon is warning that to rejoice in your enemy’s pain may be “a more punishable sin than all the guilt of your enemy.”[i]

But we are called to have the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5).

In Matthew 9:36, Jesus saw how lost the multitudes were and was “moved with compassion on them.” He saw their need and pain, but did not mock them for it or rejoice in it. He had compassion on them because their pain revealed their need.

In Rom. 5:8, we’re told that God showed His love for “in that while we were yet {still} sinners, Christ died for us.” Christ was moved not just to feel compassion, but to take compassionate action by dying to save us from our sins.

The right attitude is not to take pleasure in someone’s pain, but to feel compassion for them. So, when your enemy “gets what coming to them,” remember the mind of Christ. If you’re able, offer help. If the moment is right, share the hope of Christ with them.

God calls us to have a right relationship with Him first. That means that we must be compassionate and refuse to be distracted by the temptation to rejoice in other people’s pain.

Choice #3: Be Content.

Proverbs 24:19-20, “Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; for there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.”

When evil people succeed, we must remember that what they have is temporary. It is tempting to look at the good things they have and the comforts of life they enjoy and either be upset (fret) or envy their success.

Either way, we are called to be calm and content while we remember the future.

If you know Christ as your Savior, your destiny is different from these “evil men.” Their success is limited to this life. Whatever they obtain for themselves here will be worthless in eternity.

Once again, we know that if we trust in the Lord, He will give us everything we need (Prov. 3:5-6). We do not need to live to the world’s standard of success because we are called and enabled to live by God’s standard of success (1 Tim. 6:6).

So, do not let the success of others distract you. Be content with the good things that God gives.

We must keep our hearts centered on the Lord, recognizing that we cannot live this life in our own strength. Our mission in life is to glorify God in all things (1 Cor. 10:31). But as we strive to help people for God’s glory, we must remember that it is for His glory. That means we will make these choices to rely on Him, be like Him, and trust Him in every circumstance.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Read Proverbs 24:15-16. Why is it a waste of time for the wicked man to plot against the righteous? Where does the just man get his strength to get back up in the midst of adversity? Where can you get the same strength?

2. Read Proverbs 24:17-18. What is wrong with rejoicing when bad things happen to bad people? Shouldn’t you be happy when justice prevails?

3. Read Proverbs 24:17-18 again. What should you do instead of rejoicing when your enemies prevail?

4. Read Proverbs 24:19-20. As God’s child, why should you be content with what God gives you? Why should you be content with what God gives other people (and not you)?