Got a troublemaker in your life?

Some people are just troublemakers. They are always thinking up some crooked plan and telling lies. They use secret signals to cheat people; they wink their eyes, shuffle their feet, and point a finger. They are always planning to do something bad. But they will be punished. Disaster will strike, and they will be destroyed. There will be no one to help them. (Proverbs 5:12-14)

If you have ever had a troublemaker in your life, you know just how hard it can be to around them for any length of time. You just want to turn and run when you see them because you know nothing good is about to come of the encounter. Wisdom would suggest we avoid them entirely, but we all know it is impossible to never encounter them at all. So, what do we do when we encounter a troublemaker in our lives? If we want to learn how to deal with them, we need only look as far as Christ's example.

Jesus was surrounded by members of the religious leadership, thinking they knew more than he did, always trying to find fault with what he said or did. He didn't just rebuke them and move on - he cared too much for their lost souls. He didn't just 'take it' either - for he knew those of weaker faith needed to hear the message of hope he brought. He answered each one of their unfounded claims with dignity and grace. He didn't shy away from them, he purposefully placed himself in a position where they'd be. 

We also have the instruction given by Paul in Philippians 4:5 to let everyone see our gentleness and kindness, to pray and give God the worries of that relationship or encounter. I have 'shot up' many a quick prayer to him when encountered by a troublemaker, asking not only for wisdom in 'handling' the moment, but to have God intervene in the actions of the troublemaker. When we trust God to 'shut it down', we might just find there comes a 'lull' in the troublemaker's actions that suggests God is intervening. 

We don't want these individuals in our lives, but Galatians 6:1 tells us to always be gentle and attempt to 'make the individual right again' in the relationship. They will cause havoc with the greatest of ease, but our response should always be one of gentleness and grace. When encountered with that 'double-barreled defense' they might just find they have very little sway in our lives. A troublemaker who cannot stir up the trouble they hoped to create is actually undone by such a response. Just sayin!