The Twenty #13 – Handling Negative People

It’s been a while since I’ve tackled a topic from “The Twenty” list, but I’m refusing to quit on it. I’ll be honest, I’ve been avoiding this topic because I didn’t have a good answer…at least not one that didn’t make me look heartless or spineless :) Typically, I would fight back or I would just agree to avoid conflict.

But, in the last couple of months, I’ve been learning just how true the wise old saying “kill them with kindness” really is. And, as simple & cliche it may sound, it’s also quite Biblical…you know…“love your enemies,” “pray for those who persecute you,”…those things.

Now, I will be the first to admit that I don’t always handle negative people by killing them with kindness. But, I have really been intentional lately about trying to confront negativity with grace. And do you know something, I’ve found that most of the time it actually works?

Unexpected grace disarms people.
Validating people’s opinions even while disagreeing disarms people.
Not throwing a punch back disarms people. 

Yes, the “stubborn always wants to be right” part of me still screams when confronted with negativity, but if I lean into the Spirit, grace screams louder.

*This is the thirteenth post in a series of twenty. For more on the background, check out this post.


 

With courage, Katie

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