The Bible clearly tells us all to love one another, but what about those people who seem difficult to love? Jo talked with Chuck DeGroat about his book . Listen for helpful insights on how to understand, lead, and love the difficult people in your life – including yourself.
Who are the toughest people to love in your life?
Discovering that sometimes we are the most difficult people in our lives is a harsh reality for many people. Everyone has someone in their life who has been hard to get along with at times, including; a family member, friend, or co-worker. Pastors and other church leaders experience the same difficulties of getting along everyone and need to learn ways of handle tension in a loving way. Chuck shared helpful advice for listeners on how to love other people, no matter what.
“We are all broken people”
He discussed how wise it is to recognize our own ‘blind spots’ and know the impact we may be having on another person’s life. It may even be required that we ask others a few questions directly, such as; how do you experience me? How do I impact you? Often times, the perception we have of ourselves is different from others. Chuck also mentioned that addressing this truth will open the lines of communication and gain understanding into our blind spots.
“It’s those people that aren’t able to see their own stuff or own it, tend to be the most difficult people”
DeGroat further explained that most of the time our default is to be defensive or reactionary in situations, causing conflict and tension between us and other people. He reminded us of Genesis 3:9, when God said, “Where are you?” We don’t have to run or hide in our sin and shame anymore, there is hope! Through Jesus, we are able to better understand what it means to truly love difficult people. Acknowledging that everyone has their own story can help us in demonstrating love that God has for every one of His people, even if it’s tough at times.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 3:9, John 13:35, John 13:34-35
