Annoying People

Are there people that you find particularly annoying?  People that—well—really bug you?  People that you wish you didn’t have to meet and see?  What are we supposed to do with these people?

There are three things that we might consider:

 1.  Annoying people are plants by God.  God is wanting to do something in you—and uses annoying people to do it.  God is not beyond making your life miserable through other people.  Yes, that is actually true!  God sees character flaws in you and uses an annoying boss to change you.  God wants to develop patience in you so he asks you to work with the youth in your church.    

Prov 27:17. As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

2.   They are annoying because we let them be annoying.  I have often wondered why we let annoying people carry on the way they do.  You see everyone thinks they are annoying but no one tells them.  No one sits down with them and speaks the truth in love to them.  Sometimes annoying people need to be told.  Sometimes it takes a group of people to tell someone off!   Why do we allow, in church life, one person to ruin a committee or a group?  Perhaps we all need to band together and tell Mr Annoying to stop?

Ephesians 4:14-16 (NLT) 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

3.  Where and when am I annoying?  Who is speaking into my life?  Who can sit me down tell and me to ‘knock it off?’ 

Prov 27: 5-6 (NLT) An open rebuke is better than hidden love!  Wounds from a sincere friend are better than kisses from an enemy