How Do I?

How do I handle people who I feel are wrong and will not admit it? How do I handle those I struggle with? What do I do, when I am frustrated and there is nothing else to say or feel?

There are times that I really struggle with these feeling and I tend to push these people away or just ignore them. It's easier for me to just emotionally shut down. I justify this by feeling, “It is what it is” and I just leave it be. But...a good friend showed me this verse:

"Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone." 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (New Living Translation)

Awe now, come on! Don’t show me this stuff. That "be patient with everyone", is really the kicker for me. It is a lot easier to just ignore the person and move on. I am fine the way I am and this is just the way I deal. (It's OK. Keep reading!)

Then I am reminded of a quote from C.S. Lewis:
"This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior we expect from other people" (The Case for Christianity).

Ouch! How many times have I been “that person” who doesn’t admit that I'm wrong, who causes frustration, who is lazy and doesn't see the importance of getting things done? How many times has someone been patient with me, encouraged me, stroked my ego, and lifted me up? How many times have I seen it in other people, but never in myself?

This is how Christ views me. Should I not, then, be more patient, more forgiving, more willing to lift up, more willing to comfort, more willing to forgive and more willing to overlook others faults?

Man - I tell ya, if I want it from other people, I'd better discipline myself to practice that kind of behavior in my own my life.