How to Deal with Difficult People

 

     You will encounter difficult people wherever you go. You can't run away from them. So the first thing you must learn is acceptance. Although it's easy to focus on their faults, remember that God has unconditionally forgiven you. Secondly, you must learn humility, because you yourself can be irritating, controlling or opinionated at one time or another.

 

 

Mat 18:21  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

 

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 

 

     The Bible also says you must make allowances for each other's faults: Pro 19:11  The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

 

     A third point to learn is that you must learn to forgive whether or not the offending person is sorry. You can't control another person's reponse, but you can obey scripture.

 

Mar 11:25  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

 

 

 

 

 

      Do not get angry and say, "I'll pay him back!" In the book of Romans, it says that God will vindicate you. 

 

Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

 

 

 

 

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

 

The Meaning of the word ‘Long-Suffering’

Exo 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

Exo 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.

     The word long-suffering is made up of two words: ארך 'ârêk (pronounced aw-rake') long or slow. This word comes from ארך 'ârak (pronounced aw-rak') and it means to be or to make long.

     The other word is אף 'aph (pronounced af) the nose or nostril. It comes from אנף 'ânaph (pronounced aw-naf') meaning to breathe hard or to be enraged. Sometimes angers shows itself on the face of a person in the form of snorting or wheezing through the nose. These two words literally mean "slow to anger."

     The same concept occurs in the Greek:

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

     The word long-suffering here from the Greek μακροθυμία makrothumia (pronounced mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah) and it means forbearance or patience. It is made up of the word μακροθυμώς makrothumōs (pronounced mak-roth-oo-moce') long (enduring) temper which in turn is made from μακρός makros (pronounced mak-ros') long and θυμός thumos (pronounced thoo-mos') passion, indignation or wrath. θυμός is derived from the word θύω thuō (pronounced thoo'-o) to rush, breathe hard or blow smoke.

Rom 12:17  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.