I’ve learned the best way to handle a problem person is to focus on what’s going on with me “internally” that makes me react to that person’s behavior, which I have no control over. Could it be that I have a problem, Lord? So then, I become the student, and the Holy Spirit my Teacher. God, the Holy Spirit, aka Spirit of Truth, uses the problem person as a “visual aide” in the classroom of my life to make sure I know the truth about myself, and comprehend the lesson being taught.
My prayer is: “Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O Lord, according to your laws. Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law. Yet you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true (Psalm 119:149-151).
The psalmist doesn’t claim that God makes problem people disappear. He merely points out that while they are near, so is God. Big problems gain a different perspective when we remember the nearness of a bigger God. The one thing that’s certain, no one or no-thing is bigger than my God. Moreover, I learn how to redirect my energy on what’s most important. I remind myself of God’s laws, and I am strengthened by His powerful presence in my space. When He’s in my space, problems and difficult people who may be causing the problems appear much smaller and insignificant compared to my relationship with Christ, and even disappears altogether. In other words, even if they’re there, I don’t see them; I only see my Big God. He’s magnified a thousand times over. When I see my Big God and obey His commands, I am empowered to deal with difficult people through the love of Christ. After all, He loves them just as much as He loves me!