In a competitive world, another person’s misfortune can become our opportunity. But at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, American runner Abbey D’Agostino refused to think that way.
During a qualifying heat of the women’s 5,000-meter race, New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin stumbled and fell, bringing D’Agostino down with her. Abbey got up first. She could have continued running, leaving her competitor behind. Instead, she stopped, helped Hamblin to her feet, and urged, “Get up. We have to finish this.”
A few moments later, Abbey’s injured knee buckled. Then Nikki stopped for her. Although neither woman would win the race, both crossed the finish line—and together they demonstrated something more important than winning.
While this incident involved misfortune rather than moral wrongdoing, it illustrates love’s instinctive response: Love does not exploit another person’s fall. It stops to help.
Genuine love does not smile when someone stumbles, secretly enjoy another’s embarrassment, or use another person’s wrongdoing for personal advantage.
As Paul expressed it, “Love does not delight in evil” (1 Cor. 13:6).
Love takes no pleasure in another person’s problems, pain, or misfortune. More specifically, it does not enjoy seeing others harmed by sin or injustice. Love does not enjoy evil. Period.
William Barclay suggested in his Daily Bible Study Series, “It might be better to translate this as: love finds no pleasure in anything wrong.” Barclay observed that Paul condemns the malicious pleasure we sometimes feel when we hear something derogatory about someone else.
Albert Barnes adds that love finds no pleasure in reports of another person’s wrongdoing—even when that person is an enemy, persecutor, or wicked individual who has disgraced himself through sin. Indeed, this is a practical application of Jesus’ command to “love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44).
Love grieves when a fellow Christian falls instead of feeling smugly superior.
Love refuses to enjoy gossip or scandal, even when it is entertaining.
Love takes no pleasure in the failure of a business rival.
Love does not secretly delight when a friend—or an enemy—is exposed and embarrassed.
Furthermore, when we realize that our heavenly Father is the very essence of love, we must ask: Are our attitudes and actions like His? Or are they the exact opposite?
Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision, once prayed, “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” That prayer raises a penetrating question: Do the things that grieve God also grieve us? Or have we become so accustomed to evil that we tolerate it, excuse it—or even enjoy it?
When this quality of love is embedded in our hearts, it will lead us to…
- “Weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15).
- Weep, as Jesus did, over those who reject God’s way (Lk. 19:41).
- Grieve when someone is made to stumble (2 Cor. 11:29).
- Shed tears because people have forsaken God’s law (Ps. 119:136).
- Take no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23).
- Humbly and gently seek to restore the fallen (Gal. 6:1–2).
Together, these passages show that godly love never responds to sin with smugness, amusement, or satisfaction. It responds with sorrow, compassion, and a desire for restoration.
This divine injunction even applies to those with whom we disagree religiously, politically, or morally. Do we take secret satisfaction when they fail? Or does it genuinely break our hearts to see the damage caused by sin and waywardness?
Like the other qualities in Paul’s portrait of love, this one challenges us to love more perfectly—with a heart increasingly like the heart of God.
—Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
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