Experience of Christ in Dealing with People

Dealing with people is one of the most difficult things in any work. People are living with full of feelings and opinions. Hurting even one person is a big deal. Especially, if the people concerned are children of God. But, with the Lord's wisdom and discernment, it is easy to handle people. Satan tries his best to bring confusion among people, especially among the children of God.

There was an incident on one of our serving ones concerning the publication of another New Testament where he was involved by his mobile number being used for contact information. The feelings and reactions of the brothers were not positive. But, as we fellowshipped, the Lord gave us the grace to handle this wisely with much prayer. Though I had my feelings and opinions, I learned to bring them before the Lord in prayer and seek the Lord for His leading in the way to deal with him, not according to me nor any brother whosoever, but solely according to Him. As we fellowshipped, the Lord came into that matter and thus it was resolved amicably. By turning to the Lord concerning people, I could experience the Lord and get to know His will and feelings about the people being dealt with. Thank the Lord that I could experience the Lord, even in dealing with people.

In my service and also in the church life, there were many people that crossed my path. Like it or not, some of them I had to deal with accordingly as the Lord led me to. Not alone, but with a brother or a few other brothers, we learned to handle people together and deal with whatever matters brought to our notice. The lesson of experiencing Christ in dealing with people is more important than the person concerned, however "troublesome" they may be. Of course, only troublesome people create problems. The Lord sovereignly allows them to do what they are doing. In this way, He disciplines them and also perfect the brothers whom He uses to discipline the naughty ones. This is the wisdom of God. 

Brothers and sisters who were coordinating the recent proofreading project had issues too. Every issue when brought to our attention, we had to face them head-on. Yet not in a natural way or trying to solve the problems, but in a prayerful and wise way, not merely to solve problems, but to perfect one another and experience Christ in the process.

The lesson of dealing with people brought me to contact the Lord more and more each day. Even in dealing with my own relatives and the saints in church life, I simply turned to the Lord in prayer and brought the matters to the Lord again and again. These experiences taught me to have no confidence in myself but fully trust in the Lord's doing. Not trying to deal with people according to my natural man, but bringing them to the Lord as I also brought myself to the Lord in the process of dealing with people.

Lord, by Your grace, deal with me as You taught me to deal with others in need. And in the process, may we all experience You all the more.