Show Notes
Episode 44. Dealing with Difficult People
Episode 44. Dealing with Difficult People
"This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
~ John 13:35
It's time to be honest: we all have people in our lives that we don't particularly enjoy. Their personality or quirks might rub us the wrong way, or maybe we don't agree with their opinions or choices. They're not necessarily bad people, we just don't like being around them. And while we're being honest, we can also admit that we can be difficult to deal with ourselves. So what do we do, as Christians, when we don't like someone?
Pat & Fr. Nathan LaLiberte take on a heartfelt exploration of dealing with difficult people. They embrace the struggle of relatable hardships with family members, coworkers, and neighbors in a blend of faith, mental health, and the quest for constant charity and authentic joy. In drawing important distinctions between love and "liking" someone, and between kindness and "niceness", they highlight the Christian obligation to love challenging individuals. Don't miss this opportunity to gain a fresh perspective on loving difficult people, and to embrace authenticity and patience in the process!
Show Notes
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“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34-35
“You can’t put into someone what God himself left out.” - Fr. Jeff Huard
“Love means looking past preferences and choosing the person.”
He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”
Luke 19:1-10
“The goal of the Christian life is to plant seeds of love in places where it does not exist.”
St. John of the Cross
Jesus healing Peter’s mother in law & then leaving to preach elsewhere: Luke 4:38-44
“It’s not my problem”:
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” (Luke 4:13-15)
“Keep in mind that our community is not composed of those who are already saints, but of those who are trying to become saints. Therefore let us be extremely patient with each other’s faults and failures.”
St. Teresa of Calcutta
Challenge By Choice
Are you kind or “nice”, loving or “liking”?
Take some time to distinguish between being nice & being kind, between liking someone and choosing to love someone
When was a time that you did not like someone but you chose to love them?
How can you love someone you find difficult, actively working for their good?
Reflection Questions
For personal reflection or group discussion
What is one thing that stuck out to you from this episode?
Being careful to avoid gossip or detraction, when have you found it difficult to be around someone? What did you recognize about yourself in that situation?
What are the differences between liking someone and loving them? How does the Christian understanding of these ideas differ from the world's understanding?
When have you been a difficult person in someone else's life? How might reflecting on those times help you grow in patience and mercy toward others?
Who is someone that you find it difficult to relate to right now? In what tangible ways can you love them by choosing their good?