GETTING ALONG WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE
OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE HUMBLE AND REGARD FOR THE HONORABLE

There are difficulties in life—there’s no denying it! Sometimes there are difficult problems, and sometimes there are difficult people. The church is immune from neither and so Scripture addresses both. Paul is directly speaking to the matter of getting along with difficult people in Romans 12:14-21. Consider these words:

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Two kinds of people we will deal with according to verses sixteen and seventeen are the humble and the honorable. Several related truths are connected to these central principles.

OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE HUMBLE (v.16)

In America, we love celebrity. We want to read about the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Do you know a “name-dropper,” someone who has met or is related to some famous person, and they have to tell you all about it? Scripture challenges us to do just the opposite—to seek out the humble. It is what God does. Notice these verses:

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

Jesus picked a motley crew of fishermen, a tax-collector—riff-raff. In fact, God despises arrogance—it is the very spirit of the devil!

Self-promotion leads to schism. The undercurrent here is a church in Rome composed of citizens and slaves; Jewish and Gentile converts. Harmony was to be the goal. Conceit and an inflated view of one’s own opinion sounds a discordant note.

OUR REGARD FOR THE HONORABLE (v.17)

A bulldog can win a fight with a skunk, but it’s not worth it! Trying to get even with others only pulls us down with them. The way to invest your time and energy is in lifting others up and in the process you are blessed as well.

Concentrate on that which is good and honorable. Spend time doing the good things and you’ll have no time left for doing the evil things. If you look for good in someone long enough you can generally find it.

Note this important last phrase, “in the sight of all men.” The world is watching—and our credibility as a Christian is at stake by how we treat our fellowman. Dealing with difficult people in a godly way is a powerful testimony to God’s grace.