Dealing with Difficult People – Part 1

You and I may or may not have anything in common. I like sports, you may like shopping. I like cheeseburgers, you may be a vegetarian. I like guns and you may belong to the gun haters club of America. The point is we may have something in common, but more than likely there are just as many things we don’t have in common. There is one thing we do have in common…you may expect me to say we both love Jesus. Well, I do and I hope you do to. You may also expect me to say we both love kids, but that might depend on the day. haha

The one thing I am certain we have in common is we both have to deal with difficult people. Regardless of what you do or where you do it, you have difficult people you have to deal with. And believe me, they are not going away. Just when you throw the party to celebrate the departure of that one trouble making volunteer, another one moves to town. Just when you think that unreasonable parent has moved out of the moronic stage, another takes their place. It’s a fact people; we will always have difficult people in our lives.

So what do we do? I want to share with you some techniques that have proven to be effective in dealing with difficult people.

First, I want to establish WHY it’s VITAL that we persistently and intentionally master this skill.

Reason number one – The longevity of your ministry depends on it. More than likely your ministry will be a short run if you don’t develop the skill of navigating relationships especially dealing with difficult people.

Look at this verse: Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Romans 12:18 (NLT)

When asked what he considered the most valuable skill in employees, John D. Rockefeller once replied, “The ability to get along with people!”

One of the most important skills needed to succeed in ministry is knowing how to handle troublemakers. If you learn how to deal with difficult people early on, then you’ll be able to pour more energy into ministry rather than needless conflicts.

Reason number two – Because of who you represent.

And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17 (NLT)

When we deal with difficult people, we first and foremost represent our God. We also represent our Pastor, our Church and finally ourselves. We do not have the privilege of “giving people a piece of our minds” just so we can feel better. Like it or not, you and I represent more than just ourselves so we must be intentional in our approach to the difficult people in our lives.

So, with that in mind, we will examine some practical steps we can take in dealing with difficult people…tomorrow.