Extra Grace Required

I have been stung by a devotional series from Rick Warren lately.

It's been about the subject of "Dealing with Difficult People"

For whatever reason, it seems I have encountered several of these types of folks and undoubtedly I have BEEN one!

I am a natural introvert and loner, so dealing with people at all is a draining experience for me.

I enjoy it, but I need frequent breaks just to recharge.

If you add to the mix a difficult person, well, you can see how that for someone like me, it can be easy to get thrown into great disarray!

You could define someone as "difficult" if they are overbearing, uncaring, narcissistic, selfish and rude.

Yup, I have been all those things!  (God help me!)

For me, it could also be someone who is none of those things, just a bit odd and hard to get to know.

What's difficult is getting to the core of who they are, so a real connection can happen.

I've been that person to!  (wow)

These devotionals have helped me a lot, and just so you know...it takes practice to love difficult people.

Here is Rick Warren's list of tips...

1. Look at their behavior.
2. Refuse to be offended.
3. Cut them some slack.
4. Refuse to gossip about them.
5. Refuse to play their game.
6. Always take the high ground.

I suggest you read each installment and let it sink in.

Here is the link.

I would love to hear your experiences.