Look Behind the Behavior of Those Who Frustrate You

Current Teaching Series The Miracle of Mercy

Look Behind the Behavior of Those Who Frustrate You By Rick Warren — Apr 22, 2017 “When a fool is annoyed, he quickly lets it be known. Smart people will ignore an insult” (Proverbs 12:16 GNT). We all have people in our lives that drive us nuts. I call them EGRs, which stands for Extra Grace Required. But have you ever thought that God puts them in your life to be heavenly sandpaper. They may irritate us, but God uses them to take off our rough edges and shape our character. Some EGRs are minor irritations. They may drive too slow in the fast lane. Some of them may be more challenging. They sit in the backseat and tell you how to drive. Other EGRs may be just plain mean. They never say “thank you.” They can be rude and negative, demanding, demeaning, and disapproving. You just cannot make them happy, no matter how hard you try. Whatever you do, it’s not good enough. So what do you do with people like that? How can you show them mercy when you’d rather show them the door? Over the next six devotionals, I’ll share six steps to demonstrating mercy to the EGRs in your life. First, look behind their behavior. When you’re dealing with people who are offensive and irritating, you need to look past their behavior to their pain. When people are hurting others, it’s because they’re hurting on the inside. Hurt people hurt people. They’re full of fear and insecurity. They may have a painful past, or be dealing with some pressure that you don’t know about. You need to ask yourself why they are acting the way they are. Why are they being short with you? Did they have a fight with their husband or wife today? Is everything okay with their kids? Are they in financial trouble? Is something going on with their health? What’s the thorn in their foot that’s causing them to be mean to everybody else around them? You look past the behavior and look at the pain and try to understand. The Bible says, “When a fool is annoyed, he quickly lets it be known. Smart people will ignore an insult” (Proverbs 12:16 GNT). Why do wise people ignore an insult? Because they look behind the behavior to the pain. When you understand a person’s pain, it helps you respond with patience. Talk It Over How do you respond to the Extra Grace Required people in your life? What have you discovered when you looked behind someone’s behavior? How does your own pain influence your behavior? PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Our Gift: The Miracle of Mercy Study Kit Experience more mercy in your life! There’s a reason God talks about mercy so much in the Bible – because it’s one of the most important character traits He wants to develop in us! That’s why Pastor Rick Warren put together his brand-new The Miracle of Mercy DVD study kit. In its six lessons, you’ll learn how mercy can help you… • Forgive those who’ve hurt you • Heal your own hurts • Mend broken relationships • Be more patient with difficult people • Cultivate a servant’s heart LEARN MORE

Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes six full length teaching CD's from Pastor Rick's series The Miracle of Mercy. LEARN MORE

Series Summary Message 1: ​​Easter Means It's a New Day of Mercy Message 2: God Can Use Anybody Message 3: God's Mercy and My Failures ​Message 4: How Much You Matter to God Message 5: Showing Mercy to Your Family Message 6: Being an Agent of Mercy in the World PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered a​round the world. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe