There's a wonderful scene in the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird when the attorney , Atticus Finch , is confronted by the father of a girl who has accused a black man of rape . The father , enraged , walks up to Finch , played perfectly by Gregory Peck . He spits in Finch's face as the attorney's children watch .
You can see the anger in Finch's face , but he slowly and calmly maintains his composure . He simply walks past the man who now looks pretty small in everyone's eyes . God has given us the power over difficult people . It's called not letting them set the rules . 1 Peter 3.9 says do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult .
On the contrary , repay evil with blessing Because to this . On the contrary , repay evil with blessing Because to this you were called , so that you may inherit a blessing . Not always easy , definitely , but we're capable of it . Remember that this life is very much about winning and losing .
Determine that a difficult person in your life is not going to win by controlling you and getting under your skin In wrestling terms . Don't let that person pin you . Is that obnoxious person in your life really all that obnoxious or are you a grouch letting yourself get caught in what is really only a difference in personalities ?
Go home from work one evening and think about that . Make your mind up to start out the next day by being nice to that person . You'll be surprised how that can change the equation . And that's what Colossians 4.6 is talking about when it says let your speech be always with grace , seasoned with salt , that you may know how you ought to answer every man .
Or maybe you're a man frustrated with the relationship between your wife and your mother . This is always a potentially difficult situation . Maybe you think your wife should be more adaptable . But have you forgotten what God told the man in Genesis 2 , 24 ?
It says this is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife , and they become one flesh . Your responsibility in that situation is to your wife , not to making sure your parents' feelings come first in all situations .
So you see , often that difficult person you're dealing with is you , or at the very least , a different perspective will help you see where the fault really lies . Finally , in 1 Corinthians 5 , we read that Paul advises for really difficult people , a cooling off period is legitimate .
For example , the person who is causing real strife in a church should not be allowed to go on like that indefinitely . Bad behavior sometimes must be confronted For the good of the community and even for the good of the offended person . This is sound advice .
So if we stick to what the Lord has already told us and our tried and true methods for dealing with difficult people , we can get to a better place . Let's pray , Father God . A person who is angry or a troublemaker creates chaos for everyone .
Help us analyze each of these situations as unique so that we know how to handle them from your word and , most especially , help us make it a habit to pray for those who are difficult , so that we might see their lives changed and brought into harmony and unity . In Jesus' name , amen .