This post is about dealing with people. You may be surprised to know that on my very first job out of college, I got into a tiff with a fellow employee. Why? Well, because I consistently experienced her as rude and disrespectful. As my patience with her faded and my temperature reached a boiling point, I expressed how her actions were “forcing me” beyond my patience threshold. Then, she spoke and said: “I can NOT force you do anything…” Then it hit me. Wow, she’s right. In all her rudeness, she was right. No one can MAKE me do anything. I had to take control and apologize to her for allowing myself to get so close to losing control. I also apologized for blaming it on her. 

We have to take control over, and responsibility for, the way we react to people and things in life. We must take control; self-control

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”-Galatians 5:22-23

How we respond to people and their antics is on us. While I get it, no one wants to be disrespected…getting upset and losing control is a dead-end. Being impulsive is a dishonor to yourself. Do you know that feeling after you have gone too far? In anger, you said something vile? Or did something you can’t take back? Regret is a deep, sinking feeling that steals the joy and hope for tomorrow.

You have to learn to play a different game. When people cross you, don’t get mad…take control; self-control. Having a vengeful heart will not prosper you. Don’t seek revenge. Instead, simply set the record straight when people get it twisted, step away from the situation, take a deep breath, and retreat. No one is perfect, and you too will require the same love, peace, kindness, goodness from others on those days when you too fall short.  

Worrying is tricky.  We ought to be aware of things, and maybe even concerned about the outcome, but never anxious.

Please don’t get me wrong, you should definitely care and have concern for people and certain things in life.  But you should not worry.  The difference is that worry is burdensome, induces anxiety and results in fear.  Worry is the thief of mental and physical health.  According to Webmd.com, continuous worry and anxiety progresses into heart attacks, muscle tension, short-term memory loss, suppression of the immune system, and more.  Next time you find yourself worried about something, ask yourself “What do I fear?”  You may be surprised to find that your fear is surmountable and most times IRRELEVANT to what you have going on in front of you at that very moment. 

You can live worry-free, even when you have very real things that others think you “should” be worried about. The bills will be there, traffic will be bad, people will be rude.  Why worry?  That’s life.  You’re going to have to pay that car note, deal with difficult people, and face unplanned circumstances whether you stress about it or not.  When the problem comes, all we can do is find a solution.  If you live your life thinking the worst to come out of each situation, you’re actively shaving time off your life. 

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” – Matthew 6:25-27