I’m just going to vent for a second here….I have been totally frustrated, annoyed, irritated, and just plain ticked. Why? You ask. Well I have a difficult person in my life. I’ve had a difficult person in my life for as long as I can remember. It’s really been getting bad and I need some relief in this area of my life so I have been PRAYING a lot about it. The following are some of my thoughts on this subject, maybe just a reminder to myself to help me endure the difficult person in my life.

So far I have come up with these truths:

·         There will always be difficult people in the world. Some you can just turn away & never deal with again, some are family or coworkers who you have to deal with. That’s just life, like there will always be sin in the world because of the fall, there will always be difficult people.

·         It doesn’t matter what you do you just can’t please some folks.

·         When dealing with these difficult people, remember it’s more about them than you. Try not to take it personally. Hurting people hurt people. They don’t even realize how difficult they are.

·         Most difficult people are just angry, bitter & resentful people and unfortunately take it out on those closest to them.

·         You can’t change a difficult person! Only God can change them, with a little help from the difficult person themselves.

So how does one cope with a difficult person? I am going to try and put into action the following:

·         Love them anyway, no matter how hard that is to do

·         Try and see them through the eyes of Jesus and not my own eyes

·         Focus on the positive attributes of the difficult person

·         Try to empathize if not than sympathize

·         Have patience, my lack of patience only exasperates the situation

·         Don’t argue with them, it’s pointless

·         Try and keep a sense of humor

·         Pray for them (and myself)

Having to deal with a difficult person in your life can leave you exhausted, stressed, and really bring you down with all their negativity. I think most important is to keep myself before the Lord. He is the only one who can give me strength, endurance, and patience to see me through when I am dealing with this difficult person.

I think the Lord is dealing with me in how I respond to this difficult person. I really want to do the right thing it’s just SO hard sometimes. But I know that I am called to do better and be better. So after weeks of suffering from irritation & frustration over my difficult person I began to seek the Lord in the situation. I told Tom that this person was going to be my service project this holiday season. I am going to do right, act right, be nice and patient even if it kills me!

Do you have a difficult person in your life? If so, how do you cope with them? Especially when that person is a close family member?