How to Handle Negative Relationships

Read | 1 Corinthians 15:33-34

In an ideal environment, all our relationships would draw us closer to the Lord. However, we live in a fallen world with sinful people, so that is not our reality. God wants us to influence those who aren't walking obediently with Him, but unless we're careful, we could easily end up following them. How are we to deal with relationships that drag us down instead of building us up?

Prayer: Your first step is to pray for the people who tend to pull you away from the Lord. It's not your job to change them, but you can ask God to work in their lives. And don't forget to ask Him to give you the wisdom and patience you need in your interactions with them.

Separation: You may have to break off a relationship if it's hindering your Christian walk. However, this should be done only after much prayer and wise counsel. And remember, some relationships are meant to be permanent, so listen carefully to what God is telling you.

Perseverance: If the negative relationship never changes, and the Lord is not calling you to break off association with that person, then He wants you to persevere in the situation. Your goal is to walk faithfully with your heavenly Father despite any hindrances or opposition.

If you struggle with negative relationships, cultivate friendships with godly people who can help you grow in your faith. Spend time in God's Word, filling your mind with truths that anchor your soul in stormy situations. Persevere in walking faithfully with Christ--you may even influence the other person.
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from Intouch Magazine, June 2012 issue

Joyce Meyer on Handling Difficult People

No one likes being around irritable people. I think there are a lot of people in the world like that today, largely because of the stressful lives most people lead. People are trying to do too much in too little time and have more responsibility that they can realistically handle.

When someone is rude to me, I can feel my emotions rise up and then move out, wanting me to follow them. When I feel that, I know I need to take action. have to reason with myself and remember that the person being rude probably has a lot of problems and he / she may not even realize how he / she sounds. I certainly remember lots of times in my life when people asked me why I was being so harsh, and I didn't even realize that I was. I just had a lot of going on and felt pressured, so the pressure escaped in harsh voice tones. That did not excuse my bad behavior, but it was the root of the problem.

I am very thankful I know the Word of God and have Him in my life to help and comfort me. But I try to remember that a lot of the people in the world who are difficult to get along with don't have that. I have had to work very hard with the Holy Spirit to develop the ability to act on the Word of God when people are rude instead of merely reacting to them with behavior that matches or tops theirs.

Jesus said that we have done nothing special if we treat people well who treat us well, but if we are kind to someone who would qualify as an enemy, then we are doing well (see Luke 6: 32-25).

People are everywhere, and not all of them are pleasant. So we must make a decision about how we are going to react toward them. If you are in a situation that requires you to be with one of these hard - to - get - along with people every day, I urge you to pray for them instead of reacting emotionally to them. Our prayers open a door for God to work through.

Ask Yourself... 

How do I react to people who are rude?

Do I respond in love as the Word says we should, or do I join them in their ungodly behavior?

Will I act on the Word of  God and love them for His sake?

Or will I merely react emotionally and end up perhaps acting worse than they act?

Have I ever let a rude person ruin my day?

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excerpt from 'God's word vs. your Feeling', a Joyce Meyer Ministries (JMM) magazine (Enjoying Everyday Life) September / October issue