Dealing with Difficult People

James 1:19,20 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.

Difficult people are all around us. Really, you and I struggle to make it through a single day, without running into a difficult person. Which is why it’s so important to know how to deal with those difficult people.

When was the last time that someone did or said something that really annoyed you? It probably wasn’t all that long ago.

So how did you react? Did you hear them out? Did you try to understand where they were coming from? Or did you do what we’d all like to do at that point; give them a piece of your mind?

James 1:19,20 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.

Now we all know that we should be slow to speak … but have you ever been told to be quick to listen? What a powerful concept. Rather than biting your tongue out of self-control (it’s so hard isn’t it?) this speaks of a complete change of heart!

Be quick to listen. Lean in to understand this annoying person. What are they saying? Where are they coming from? Why are they behaving this way? Only when you’ve done that, then and only then, is it time to speak. And anger? Well, be even slower with that. It’s right at the end of the list!

When did someone else’s anger last move you to have a change of heart? So at what point then did we start believing that getting angry with someone was going to bring about the positive change that we’re looking for?

In fact the complete opposite is true: for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.

So in case you missed it: You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

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