If you plan to leave your home this holiday season, then chances are you will encounter a difficult person:
A rude customer
A stressed-out parent at your kid’s Christmas program
A neighbor who throws parties late into the night
Or maybe you’re already anticipating a situation with a difficult person a little closer to home:
Your in-law whose comments just rub you the wrong way
That sibling who tries to take control of all the plans
The child who seems ungrateful no matter what you do for them
In our broken, sin-filled world, difficult people are everywhere. Throw in the stress and the chaos of the holidays and it’s almost a perfect storm for conflict. So, this holiday season, when you encounter a difficult person – and you will – here are 5 tips for showing them grace and the love of Jesus.
1. Pray for Yourself?
Admittedly, it may seem a little strange to pray for your own heart…but it’s honestly the easiest place to start…!
Start praying for God to help the fruits of the spirit show up in your life. (Galatians 5:22-23)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
And – in the heat of the moment when someone causes you to feel angry and irritable – whisper out a prayer asking Him to give you the strength to display kindness and humility.
2. Pray for them.
If you’ve identified a difficult person in your life, then, after you’ve prayed for your own heart…pray for them. Thank God for that person (yeah, we know it’s hard!). Ask Him to work in their lives and in their heart. And ask Him to be in the interaction and fill it with peace and understanding.
3. Prepare yourself!
Let’s say that one person is really starting to push your buttons, or you’re in a situation that’s becoming more and more tense. You wanna show grace? You’ve GOT TO be able to take control of your own emotions. Come up with a list of things in advance that can help you stay calm in the moment.
Take a 5-minute walk.
Move to another room or conversation.
Take deep breaths (here’s an exercise called box breathing).
Have a Bible verse memorized.
Make your list and practice them ahead of time, if possible.
4. Think about the good!
Believe it or not, if you look hard enough, you can find something positive about anyone. Maybe it’s their fresh style? Maybe that Mac and Cheese they always bring to Thanksgiving is 🔥FIRREEE!? Maybe they got a good sense of humor?
Whatever it is, try to find the good in that person and FOCUS on it. A simple compliment can go a LONG way. Reframing your thoughts will ease the negative feelings you might have about them.
Finding Hope Every Day
Whether you’re in the mood to turn up and dance like no one’s watching, or if you’re walking through a rough period of life, bump BOOST to find hope every day. You can even take BOOST with you wherever you go by streaming right now by clicking here to listen. Or you can easily bring BOOST with you by downloading the BOOST App.
What can you expect from listening to BOOST Radio?
BOOST isn’t your typical pop and hip-hop station. Don’t worry, you’ll hear music with great beats that you’ll wanna turn up in the car. The difference, though? This music has meaning.
You’re going to hear DJs that are real people. Laughing. Having fun. And being honest about life.
And you’re going to notice that BOOST leaves you feeling a little better about life in general. A few minutes of listening should leave you feeling hopeful and refreshed.
Yeah, we know that’s a big promise. But don’t just take our word for it, try it yourself!
