When We Feel Like Saying, “Serves Ya Right!”

“Serves ya right!”

Have you ever said those words? I said them often when I was a child, mostly to my siblings when they broke the family rules or got into trouble for picking on me when we were kids. Even now, as a grown woman, I sometimes feel like spouting them when someone wrongs me and later falls into a difficult time. Oh, the wickedness of the human heart.

If anyone had reason to say “Serves ya right,” it was David. Saul had chased him, thrown spears at him, taken his wife from him and married her to another man. Saul’s jealousy had nearly killed him countless times, forced him into hiding, and dethroned him from being a celebrated military leader to the commander of a few hundred motley men.

After all that, Saul died in battle

David had every reason to say “Serves ya right!” but he refused. Instead, he avenged Saul’s death by taking the life of the man who said he’d killed him. He composed a funeral song for Saul and Jonathan and commanded that the entire population of Judah learn it. He said Saul was beloved and gracious. He called him a mighty hero. And he promised to reward the men who gave him a decent burial (2 Samuel 1:15-2:6). Amazing.

What enabled David to respond this way?

I believe several factors played into it:

David’s response to Saul’s death bewilders me in one way, and it leaves me in awe in another. His attitude towards Saul encourages me to check and change mine where necessary. To be gracious in spirit when someone wrongs me. To treat the offender with respect and encourage others to do the same.

There’s no way I can do this in my own strength, not when my human bent wants to say, “Serves ya right.” Only God can accomplish such a gracious response in me as He did in David.

If we all made it our goal to respond to our enemies as David did, we’d turn the world upside down!