Learning How To Respond To Difficult People

In review of Proverbs 16:21 it says, “A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is.”

Bottom Line:

A wise person is known for his understanding, the more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is.

What this means to me:

Good judgement, discernment and common sense prove you are wise. The wise and mature are known for their understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is.

There are a lot of difficult people in this world, and I often encounter them daily. So, the question is, as a follower of Christ, how should I respond in love to the difficult people around me?

Proverbs 16:21 tells me that, “A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is” (TEV).

The more pleasant I am, the more persuasive I can be. I’ll never be persuasive if I’m abrasive. Also simple nagging won’t work.

The way I say something determines the way it will be received. If I say something offensively, it’s going to be received defensively. That’s why love is all about my words. Love is truthful, but it is also tactful.

My tact and tone will always go together. It matters greatly the way I say something, not just what I say. I can say something very difficult for someone to hear, but if I say it in the right tone, a loving tone, it has the opportunity to be received much better.

Therefore, a loving response to a difficult person will requires me to be pleasant and tactful. If I want to be below that difficult person, attack them. If you want to be even with them, get even with them. But if you want to respond the way Jesus would, I need to show that person love with the words I say and the way I say them.

In summary, If I am to be persuasive and helpful in a loving way, my words need to be pleasant and come from good judgement, discernment and common sense I obtain from having a relationship with God. The pleasant way I respond will be much better received. Today I thank you god for the reminder that any message is better received if it is delivered in a pleasant matter. A wise and discerning person will know this and handle their communications in this manner. I need to practice what James says in James 1:19-20, “.. You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.” (NLT). My response can get triggered as to retaliate if I feel attacked.  It is always better to think first about my response and the manner so that I can respond the way Jesus would, and show that person love.