Loving When it is Difficult

'Love your neighbor as yourself' Mark 12:31

I know everyone has had an encounter with a difficult person. In fact everyone has probably been that difficult person. How do we deal with difficult people? When Jesus talks about loving your neighbor, does that include difficult people? The answer is yes, that includes difficult people because the word neighbor in the Greek language means anyone who is close to you. I want to give you some practical help in dealing with difficult people so you can learn to love those you would like to avoid.

1. Keep the long-range view. Often in life we only focus on the immediate problem. Learn to focus on the big picture. See people as God sees them. Major on the majors and minor on the minors. If an encounter with a person is discouraging, remember you only lost one battle. Tomorrow is another opportunity to gain a victory.

2. Admit that your difficult person could be right. The people who agitate us the most could be giving us a valuable insight. God uses every situation to make you more like Him and more loving to others.

3. Carefully choose your battles. There is no reason to fight every battle that comes your way. When you are faced with a difficult person examine whether or not the issue is worth focusing on. Fight the lowest number of battles and remember to keep the long-range view in mind. Sometimes, fighting a battle only leads to someone getting wounded or getting a bad impression of Christianity.

4. Always think the best of others. There are times when people are having a bad day. Maybe there is something unknown to you that is causing them stress in their personal life or at home with their family. Once again, see the person for who they can be, especially if they have not put their faith and trust in Jesus.

5. Learn to forgive others. Forgiveness is not only a biblical command but a great remedy for strife in any relationship. Many people are emotionally and physically unhealthy because of unforgiveness.

6. Obey the Lord and pray for others. I may not want to deal with difficult people but I do want to obey the Lord. My desire to honor God is a great motivator. Praying for difficult people tends to give you God’s perspective. I remember a time when a person from a church I was serving came up to me after a worship service to share her frustration with me. I asked her to pray for me. She told me she thought that was what I was going to ask. After she prayed, she shared with me that her frustration lifted in the midst of her prayer! When Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself, the word yourself is important. I believe every one of us on our difficult days want to be treated with love. Should we expect less of ourselves than we expect of others? Jesus has provided us with a great way to deal with others. Next time someone frowns at you, respond with a smile. Remember, you are loving your neighbor!

In His Embrace,

Pastor Tim