How do you "love" (decide to treat a person good) someone when they won't let you? When it's a difficult encounter or their interaction with you just sucks?
Whether a customer is irrate or a friend or relative is going off on you, how can we love like Jesus loves?
Difficult people really need to feel God's love in the moment, which I find can be so hard to do. Plus, while they are throwing a temper tantrum, most of us could care less about them or their problem.
How do we go beyond how they make us feel? How do we stay calm and really treat them how we would want to be treated?
We "agree with our adversary quickly" as Jesus said.
Proverbs 37:8 says, "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath: do not fret-it leads only to evil."
Proverbs 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
We empathize with them, we diffuse the situation by verbally taking control of the situation. Show them we care and are ready to help if we can.
When you show people you care about them and the situation they are going through by being patient and kind with them, a lot of times this will calm a person down.
What if that doesn't help? If it's a customer then get your manager. If it's a friend or relative grab someone close by for help.
I have found in these situations that if you remain calm and diffuse the situation, that will usually bring them around.
This is practical stuff I deal with all the time. When we love people, we have already decided in advance how we will treat everyone when the trouble comes such as found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV:
[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Why do any of it? Remember we represent Jesus. Remember the main reason for any of this is so that they might be saved. We have to keep it together in these hard situations, even if we don't want to. Our reactions can help Jesus or hinder Jesus from saving that person.
So I hope this helps in those hard times. Pray about this in advance for the Holy Spirit to work through you with love for when the time comes. Take care.
CONTACT ME AT: postjeff0321@gmail.com. I'd love to connect with you!!!
Jeffrey Post
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