Be patient ~

When you’re dealing with people who are offensive or irritating, you need
to look past the behaviour to the pain

Everything we do is motivated by something.

When people hurt others,
it’s because they’re hurting on the inside.

Hurt people hurt other people.

The more you understand someone’s background, the more grace
you’ll show them.

Think of a person you find to be complicated or irritating

You probably know nothing about their background, so you don’t cut
the slack.

You don’t know that maybe they lost their parents at a young age.

You
don’t know that maybe they were molested.

You don’t know if
they’ve gone through two marriages, and their spouse just walked out on
them.

You don’t know their story, and that’s part of why you’re not
showing them any grace

The Bible says in Proverbs 19:11, “A person’s wisdom yields patience, it is
to one’s glory to overlook an offence. “

It’s easy to take offence from
people you find difficult.

But when you’re wise, you don’t get offended
easily.

Why?

Because wisdom gives you patience

When you patiently take the time to understand someone’s background,
you understand the stress they’re under-and it’s easier to show grace.

Your understanding gives you the patience to overlook the offence

What I’m talking about here is real love.

In fact, the Bible says refusing to
be offended by other people is actually an act of mature love.

The more
love you have in your heart, the harder it is for someone to personally
offend you.

The less love you have in your heart, the more insecure you
feel, and the easier it is to offend you.

Proverbs 10:12 says,

“Love overlooks the wrongs that others do.

” The
more you’re filled with love, the less you’ll be upset when people are
demanding, demeaning, or disapproving

When you encounter a difficult person, remember to do this:

Look past
the behaviour of the pain.

Then, refuse to be offended and,

instead,

Respond in love.