When I was still working secularly, I had a Boss that seemed difficult to other colleagues of mine. They would have issues with him every now and then. But I discovered I never had any issue with him. Some of my colleagues wondered how. I learnt how to deal with difficult people.
Friend, you would always meet difficult people on your journey of destiny. The higher you go, the more difficult people you would have to relate with. Avoiding or mishandling difficult people could mean avoiding greatness in life. Difficult people abound everywhere; family, work place, Church etc.
Difficult people are not necessarily bad people. They can be some of the nicest people you could ever meet (Philemon 1:11). The issue is not always that people are difficult. It is that we find it difficult getting along with them. This is why we often wonder how someone else is getting along with the same person.
God has a purpose for allowing difficult people in your space. It can be to help you develop the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Don’t assume you are gentle until you meet a cantankerous person as a colleague at work or even a spouse. While the behaviors of difficult people are not to be excused, God often uses them for our good (Romans 8:28).
A leader who does not know how to handle difficult people will not go far. A leader (parent, boss, pastor etc.) needs to have a large heart that can accommodate all kinds of people. It is difficult people that help you to have a large heart, and the larger your heart, the larger your capacity for influence and relevance (Philemon 1:15-18).
Wisdom will teach you what to do per time to get the best out of a difficult person and situation (1 Samuel 18:14-15). Patience is a very important virtue. With patience, the worst person can become your greatest blessing. Pray for difficult people; rebuke the devil, commit their heart to God and love them genuinely. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8)!
© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria