Are there people in your life who get on your nerves?  I imagine there are!

God made us each different and sometimes personalities clash.  As Christians, what are we to do when other people get on our nerves?  Have you ever thought about it?  Well, I’ve been thinking about it and God has led me to John 13:35:

Loving one another is the way the world knows we are Christians.  Sometimes I get caught up in worldly things and it is good for me to be reminded that God has standards.  He has given me His guidelines to live by.  He has told me how I should act.

We are NOT TO BE LIKE THE WORLD!  We are called to take the higher road…..and that includes in how we deal with people.

When people get on your nerves, it is hard to know what to do.  I would like to share with you some things I have found helpful when other people get on my nerves.  Here are a few tips:

1.  PRAY!  Pray for the person who is driving you crazy.  Ask God to bless that person.  Confess to God how you feel.  Tell Him what your issues are with that person and ask Him to help you!

2.  GET TO KNOW THAT PERSON!  Take a step towards getting to know the person who is getting on your nerves.  Ask them to go to lunch or find a few minutes to inquire about their life.  The more you learn about this person, the more opportunity you have to find common ground with them.  We all have a life story and you may be shocked about what you learn about their life.  You probably have more in common with them than you think!

3.  TAKE YOUR THOUGHTS CAPTIVE TO CHRIST!  When a negative thought crosses your mind about that person, confess it immediately and ask Christ to replace those ugly thoughts with more positive ones.  Quote scripture and keep your thoughts pleasing to God.  Don’t allow your mind to entertain negative thoughts about this person….guard your mind!

4.  DON’T GOSSIP!  Whew!  This can be hard.  When someone drives us nuts, we want to go “vent” to someone else.  We want someone else to help validate the way we feel.  Plain and simple—-DON’T DO IT!   If you have to, lock yourself in a room until the urge to gossip passes you by.  Trust me, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way.  Gossiping and spreading ugly information about someone else only makes things worse AND it displeases God.  He hates this type of behavior (Proverbs 6:16-19).  Although it may feel “fun” at the time, it is wrong and we should not do it.

When it comes to dealing with people, we all know that sometimes, personalities clash.  Sometimes, we do not enjoy another person’s company.  Sometimes, people in our life get on our nerves.

As followers of Christ, let’s remember that we are called to love others and God’s Word tells us that love is patient and kind!

Let’s practice patience and kindness as we strive to love those people who drive us crazy.

Thanks for reading, my friends!  I hope you have a great weekend!

~ Joy

Check out more from Joy Greene @Joytimeministries.org