4 Strategies for Loving Difficult People—Including Your Family

Thanks for sharing! What I usually do, is to remain who I am. I’m a person who likes to share food or give gifts. So I continue to share food and give gifts gifts to those who are unkind and difficult people.

Thank you Doug,
for ever inspiring us to come up higher in the faith. You have a unique gift of expressing what God desires to see in us all, ( His reflection.) Reminding us that being changed into God’s image is a daily process.
Thank you!
Barbara W.

I once heard Cristina Foor speak on the power our words have. I try to remember to speak life..not death. Our words are weapons. For me, it’s difficult to separate what we battle vs. People quite a bit. Our enemy is satan. I have to step back and agree with God.. and who God says they are. It’s easy to reflect on what He does for my ass… The grace. The mercy. The janitor of my messes….my representation, my attorney. He gives the opposite of what I deserve. Unconditional love. That’s how He looks at them, too. I can feel His heart for creation in the love He gives continuously displays in my life and our children, nature, the whole entire universe… that vast love. And you hope it makes a difference. A big part of faith is things hoped for. Speak truth. Because satan is a liar. Agree with who God says they are. For me it’s a challenging task, especially when attacks are so vicious and you have to look that person in the face. Say the F bomb to Satan and not the people. . .. The F bomb is definitely not classy, and people might label you crazy when you start yelling the F bomb to satan…But we all know what it’s like to be that wounded, I believe. I wonder if it’s wrong to want to kick satan in the face..? Ha ha 😬🤭

I love this. God has been speaking to me lately from I Corinthians 13, the love chapter. I can’t get past “love is patient~~~”. It is allowing God to love people in and through me. Our motto in our over 50’s group at church is: loving God, loving others. Simple. It is God’s love that will bring them to Christ. I chose that my culture is love, honor, and respect. I find myself saying this often. 😉 Merry CHRISTmas to each of you.

Doug, this was a reminder and a blessing. I’m constantly working on the area. I LISTEN, let them finish and then seek to understand.

I have a friend who is always anxious and other people find it hard to be around them I just simply listen and advise reading Gods word to calm them down and to read it allowed

The scripture that comes to my mind often is, think of others better than yourself and Jesus doesn’t play favorites. No, partially! If we are in a disagreement with someone and we are thinking that Jesus loves them just as much as He loves me and HE wants me to show that love, you’ll be silent and listening more than trying to prove your point or beliefs. I’m 42 and I’m still learning to view others differently. I had a experience about a year ago that changed my thoughts. I went to a women’s retreat, there was a girl who appeared to be about 16 in a high tech wheel chair. Clearly disabled on many levels,
conversation was hard and I wondered who took care of her. I chose to avoid much conversation with her and sought after what I could gain from the retreat. I really didn’t think to much about her as she was in the back ground and mostly ignored. Then something truly amazing happened, the worship team played a song that talked about dancing with Jesus. Someone wheeled Chelsie out to dance with Jesus. We circled around her with dancing and singing. She twirled her chair around as 30 or so women danced around her holding hands. This girl was radiant. God shined his spot light on her, exalted her. I have never wittnesed such love in all my life. Yes, it took me awhile to join that circle. I was not in the habit of thinking of others more highly than myself. This is when that scripture became very real to me. Honor others better than yourself. Blessings…..

One way that I have learned is that agreeing to disagree and show kindness in levity really is unity .
Having to be right shows no service to your own growth . It also is teaching me that love was freely given to me , and when Holy Spirit disagrees with me I’m not rejected . I find in life we are constantly Course correcting and learning and that growth has been priceless !!!

Thank you Doug ,
These are very clear , easy instructions and directions to remind us of Gods heart towards others .

These are really good tips. One word of caution/accuracy: The Message and The Passion versions are paraphrases and not truly translations. That doesn’t mean don’t read them (because I love both of them), but don’t rely on them for study as they are more devotional renderings than anything else. Thx for all hour encouraging words, Doug!

In my quiet time yesterday, people came to my mind and I ‘heard’ that I can be critical and judgmental. Then I had a vision of a sleigh coming around a store. I could see the tracks and then they’d disappear in the fresh, sparkling, powdery snow. I heard — the mistakes of the past are being erased.
I was so excited when I realized it was my attitude of heart that was being changed. I will see each person as if freshly fallen snow has covered anything from our past that has affected my opinion of them.
I prayed for the Holy Ghost power to go to the memories and the emotions associated with each one. That felt amazing.
I acknowledge that I sometimes see people as their past and not their future. I want to see them as YOU see them, Lord! As If Freshly Fallen Sparkly Snow Covers Theirs Tracks From Their Past !!!
Your love covers a multitude of sins. Each day is new!
In the vision, the sleigh came out of the snow onto the parking lot. I think that speaks of our interactions with each other. The changed attitude will affect how we interact with each other. The name of the store —
Save-a-Lot.

The choice I use to be kind to those who challenge me is I purposely ask myself quietly ,” How would Jesus respond?” That question alone separates the behavior from person standing before me and I am reminded that my main purpose on earth is to show unconditional Love, Grace and Mercy! Which helps my reaction of defending myself become null and void when I choose what’s right spiritually and not feed my fleshly desire to be right and defend myself.

I just smile and say …well it made me excited and I wanted to share about the Love of Jesus . Lol but your probably right ha.

The main strategy I use to be kind to people who challenge me is to simply shut up. Die to the need to be right. Then I constantly mutter the scripture, “When a woman’s ways please the Lord, He makes even her enemies be at peace with her!” Works all the time.