Difficult People (Part 3)
Romans 12:1, 2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
When someone insists on pushing their hostility and drama on you, be an example of a pure existence. Ignore their outlandish antics and focus on compassion. Communicate and express yourself from a place of peace, from a place of love, and with the best intentions.
Use your voice for good, to inspire, to encourage, to educate, and to spread the type of behavior you want to see in others. This, of course, is much easier said than done. It takes long-term practice. Even with decades of practice behind me, I sometimes catch myself being rude to people who are rude to me. Even as a Christian, I behave badly because they behaved badly toward me. Even if the situation is absolutely their fault, my behavior only escalates the situation when I give into my anger.
Take a deep breath and set a good example of how to deal with anger and frustration. Since I had my stroke I find this is the hardest thing for me to do. A good friend of mine suffered a brain injury in the same area which was affected by my stroke and his brother told me that he has to deal with the same issues I have to deal with now. I am having to relearn how to be patient and compassionate with people in general, which is not easy to admit, but is the honest truth.
God wants you and I to demonstrate a positive, godly way of handling difficult people. In doing so it always helps us make progress, even if it’s not instantaneous. My biggest frustration is often with myself in letting them get to me. That's why the verses above can help us understand that dealing with difficult people isn't easy, but that it can be done with the heart and mind of Christ.
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