Pastor Obed Martinez – Dealing With Difficult People

23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. – 2 Timothy 2:23-26 (NLT)

1 What is the cause of your conflicts and quarrels with each other? Doesn’t the battle begin inside of you as you fight to have your own way and fulfill your own desires? 2 You jealously want what others have so you begin to see yourself as better than others. You scheme with envy and harm others to selfishly obtain what you crave—that’s why you quarrel and fight. And all the time you don’t obtain what you want because you won’t ask God for it! – James 4:1-2 (TPT)

Here are some Examples of Difficult People:
Hammer Person
Megaphone
Bubble Busters
Nit Pickers
Whiners
Garbage Collectors

Here are the Way Difficult People See things:
Reading Glasses – They read you Wrong
Layered Glasses – They See things in Layers
Big Glasses – They Magnify the smallest Problems

What are My Choices:
You can choose to CURSE it
You can choose to NURSE it
You can choose to REHEARSE it
You can choose to REVERSE it

The Biblical Response

REALIZE YOU CANNOT PLEASE EVERYONE
By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. – John 5:30 (NIV)

REFUSE TO PLAY THE GAME
But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. – John 2:24 (NLT)

RISE ABOVE IT
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

NEVER REACT, BUT OVERLOOK THE OFFENSE
A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. – Proverbs 19:11 (NIV)

NEVER RETALIATE
Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. – 1 Peter 3:9 (NLT)

RELEASE THEM
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! – Matthew 5:44 (NLT)

LIVE REDEMPTIVELY
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. – Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

“The Forgiven Forgive”