A Prayer for the Difficult People in Your Life
By Tiffany Thibault
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. - Genesis 50:20
We all have them in our lives. Difficult people. People who make life hard, who steal our joy, peace, hope, plans and dreams. Some do it in tiny doses when you least expect it, blindsiding you, leaving you stunned with their negativity and criticism. Others manipulate you - twisting your words, creating doubt about your plans and withholding praise or encouragement when you are working so hard to pursue your dreams.
As we face those difficult people in our lives, we can take great encouragement from this verse. These words were spoken by a man named Joseph who had been his father’s favorite child, and whose brothers hated him for that, who even mocked him by calling him “the dreamer.” They called him this because Joseph had told them the dreams that he had at night. One dream used images of wheat sheaves in a field and all the brothers' sheaves bowing to Joseph's sheaf. Another dream was of the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. These dreams enraged the brothers.
Hate stirs difficult people to treat us the way that they do. Their hearts are filled with jealousy and envy. They lack compassion and restraint and instead plot ways to foil our plans. Hatred caused Joseph's brothers to want to murder him, but one brother stepped in and persuaded them to sell him as a slave instead, taking Joseph far away to Egypt.
Years later, when his hateful brothers appeared before him to purchase food during the famine, Joseph immediately recognized them, but did not reveal his identity. He said this to them when he revealed his identity: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
The brothers were shocked and terrified that Joseph would punish them for what they had done. But he didn’t. His response that God was using it for His good plans, showed that Joseph had not allowed any of the difficult people to stop him from living his life to the fullest. The difficult people could not ever interfere or stop what God had planned for Joseph
The difficult people in your life, the ones who unintentionally or even deliberately mean evil against you cannot ever succeed in usurping God’s plan for your life. Every heartache, every road bump, every plan detour - none of them are out of the ability of God to use it for good.
I love the words: “But God” in this verse. It was only because of God that many were able to survive the famine. In your life, cling to the promise of this verse. Those difficult people in your life cannot succeed - why? Because of these words: “But God.”
We all deal with difficult people. How you live out your dreams despite those evil hearts will give life to those around you who are struggling with their own difficult people. Let this be our focus as we go through our day, each time those difficult people try to trip us up: “You mean evil against me, but God means it for good.” No difficult person or their plans are more powerful than God. God is on your side. God has given you every one of your dreams. God has given you this life to live for Him. So go into your today with this attitude: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
Dear Lord,
Thank you for being with me as I face difficult people today. Keep my eyes on you as I look for you to make it all good. Keep my focus on the dreams and plans that you have for my life. Give me your words to speak in response to the difficult words. Keep my heart from becoming discouraged and bitter. Lord, let the calling you have placed on my life be a blessing and bring encouragement to the lives of others who are struggling.
In your name, I pray,
Amen
Tiffany Thibault is the author of the Bible study “Being Fruitful”, loves leading Bible Study and speaking to women, encouraging them through truths from the Bible. She lives in the Mojave desert with her family and loves to explore the wilderness areas around her city.
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