He’s so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!
1 Samuel 25:17, NLT
Recommended Reading: 1 Samuel 25:14-19
According to a 2024 survey, 85% of all employees have had an experience with a coworker who annoyed them, and 41% wish they could tell their annoying coworker what they think about them.1
When David was a young man running for his life, he encountered an ill-tempered man named Nabal. David almost went to war against him. Only the intervention of Nabal’s wife, Abigail, kept the two men from bloodshed. God gave her the grace to be a peacemaker.
What do we do with people who get on our nerves? First, we have to look at ourselves and ask if we are the cranky and irritable one. Sometimes fatigue can create friction, and neglecting Bible study can cause our love to ebb. Second, we have to look at the other person and see if they have a need behind their nuisance. We are to consider their souls and remember that we are all children of God.
When people get on our nerves, we should get on our knees.
We are all in relationships, we all face conflicts, and we all have to learn how to navigate them so that we, and our relationships, can truly thrive.
Gary Chapman
- Julia Belak, “Survey Reveals 85% of Workers Have to Deal With Annoying Colleagues,” KickResume, June 19, 2024.
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