We all know the feeling. Someone gets caught in a public mistake. A rival stumbles. A public figure we don’t like falls from their pedestal, and something inside us lights up. Maybe it’s satisfaction. Maybe it’s smugness. Maybe it’s relief that it wasn’t us this time.
There’s a word for that feeling: Schadenfreude, a German term that means “pleasure at another’s misfortune.” It’s not a Bible word, but it’s certainly an issue the Bible addresses.
And let’s be honest, it’s not just celebrities or enemies we’re tempted to gloat over. Sometimes it’s a sibling, a co-worker, a classmate, a fellow Christian. We smile inside, even if we don’t show it. But God sees the heart (1 Kings 8:39) and has told us what He thinks through the Scriptures.
God Knows the Heart, Even When the Smile Is Hidden
“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased.” (Proverbs 24:17–18)
It’s easy to justify schadenfreude. “They had it coming.” “They made their choices.” “I didn’t actually say anything, I just thought it.”
But Proverbs doesn’t just say “don’t mock them,” it says don’t even rejoice in your heart. Why? Because God is watching, not just our actions but our attitudes.
“You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” (Psalm 139:2)
And He is not pleased when we take joy in someone else’s destruction, even when that person is our enemy.
The Irony of Gloating: It Comes Back Around
“He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.” (Proverbs 17:5)
There’s a dangerous irony in schadenfreude. In the moment, it feels like a private reward. But in reality, it sets a trap for our own hearts.
Remember Haman? He plotted to destroy Mordecai and the Jews (Esther 5–7). He even built a 75-foot gallows just for him. But by the end of the story…
“They hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.” (Esther 7:10)
God takes no pleasure in the wicked, but He will not overlook a proud or malicious spirit. Schadenfreude may seem harmless, but it can grow into bitterness, cruelty, or pride.
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)
Christ Calls Us to Compassion, Even for Our Enemies
“But I say to you, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” (Luke 6:27–28)
This command doesn’t come naturally. And it certainly doesn’t sit well when that person has wronged us or someone we love. But Jesus didn’t just tell us to avoid revenge, He told us to show mercy.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15)
While Romans 12 is addressing the relationships between saints, the statement echoes Christ’s call for mercy (Luke 6:36). What does it say about us when we rejoice because others weep?
Gloating over someone else’s pain is the opposite of what Christ would have us do. He wept over Jerusalem’s rebellion. He pleaded for His enemies on the cross. And He called us to imitate that kind of compassion, not because people always deserve it, but because He gave it to us when we didn’t deserve it.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
Why Do We Rejoice at Failure? And How Do We Stop?
Let’s be honest. Why does schadenfreude feel good?
Pride: “I’m better than them.”
Envy: “They always had it easy.”
Insecurity: “At least they’re struggling now too.”
But Scripture gives us the cure:
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth… the wisdom from above is… peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits.” (James 3:14–17)
The solution to schadenfreude isn’t pretending we don’t feel it. It’s confronting the pride or fear behind it, and replacing it with the mercy, humility, and tenderness of Christ, who came to seek and save the lost.
Leave Justice to God, But Long for Repentance
There’s a balance we need to keep. It’s not wrong to desire justice. In fact, the Bible teaches us to trust God with it.
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” (Romans 12:19)
“O Sovereign Lord… how long before you will judge and avenge our blood?” (Revelation 6:10)
God is a righteous judge. He sees every wrong. And He will set things right, whether now or at the final judgment.
But even then, God’s desire is repentance, not ruin.
“The Lord is not slow… but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
So yes, leave vengeance to God. But don’t cheer it on. Pray that judgment won’t be necessary. Pray for a heart that longs to see sinners restored, not ruined. Even when it’s hard.
A Better Joy: Rejoicing in Redemption
“There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)
If you want to experience real, godly joy, this is where it’s found. Not in watching someone fall, but in watching them rise in Christ.
That’s the heart of the gospel. That’s the heart of our Savior. And it needs to be the heart of His people.
Final Thoughts
The next time you feel that twinge of pleasure when someone stumbles… pause. Ask yourself:
What does this feeling say about me?
What would God want for them?
How would Jesus respond?
Because we’ve all fallen. And we’ve all needed grace. Instead of gloating over others’ failures, let’s become people who rejoice in mercy, people who love and long for redemption… even when it’s hard.
“He has told you, O man, what is good… to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
