The Phantom Menace: The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get out of here!

For Star Wars fans, May 19, 1999, was a long-awaited day.

Why?

The first new Star Wars film since the 1983 release of Return of the Jedi opened in theaters. That day, The Phantom Menace was released.

But then, there was Jar Jar.

Just thinking of that name makes many Star Wars fans cringe. 

Do we have someone who makes us cringe just thinking of them or seeing them approaching us?

How should we deal with a difficult person?

Are we like Qui-Gon, who literally runs into Jar Jar and shortly after that tells him, "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get out of here!"

Do we, like Qui-Gon, get annoyed and rude with difficult people?

Unlike Qui-Gon, believers are to respond differently, in a Godly way.

The new way is the one Jesus gave in Matthew 5:43-44.  Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"

We need to rely on God and the Holy Spirit to do this. 

Another example is what Jesus told His disciples in John 13:34-35 when he stated, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

The word that Jesus uses here for love is the verb agape. Agape is unconditional love. It is also the same word used in 1 Corinthians 13 and John 3:16.

Four Ways To Deal With Difficult People

Here are four practical ways to deal with difficult people.

1. Speak with respect: 
Ephesians 4:15, "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ."
Proverbs 15:1 "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.".

2. The Matthew 18:15-17 pattern.
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

3. Know when to walk away.

4. Remember that we will give an account to God: 
2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."