“What About Bob" is one of my all-time favorite movies. In this  movie, Bill Murray plays the role of a guy who drives his psychiatrist insane. Bob was a pain. He was annoying… He was familiar. Most of us have a "Bob" in our life, and (s)he drives us crazy! Bob is an “extra grace required” person because of his overbearance and intrusion into the life of his doctor. Difficult people like Bob will continue to cross our paths on our jobs, in our churches, in our communities, and sometimes in our homes. We need to be trained and prepared to accept the challenge of dealing with the “Bobs” in life so that we can truly share God’s love with them.

"Bobs" can come in various forms:

• Some are enemies who watch your every move looking for a way to nail you.

• Some are friends who abuse your relationship and mistreat you.

• Some are needy people who never seem to get enough of you.

Whatever the situation, the "Bobs" will prove themselves to be both annoying and challenging. 

There is much more to be learned in dealing with difficult people.  It is certain that difficult people will always be around and appear when you least expect them.  They are the "heavenly sandpaper" in our lives that God uses to help us become more Christ-like.  So with His abiding presence, experience will be the best classroom in which to truly apply the knowledge and techniques from this course.

Redemption, I am convinced, is always a possibility.  The Bible reveals that love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8).  Surely the behavior of difficult people is included in this.  Community-connectedness could help to control such behavior.  Yet, individual connectedness is the key to change.  A "hard-core" difficult person may find perverse satisfaction in being ostracized for his behavior, thinking his persecution is because of his faith in Christ.  It is hard to take such a "me versus the world" stand when someone you are intimately close to in Christian friendship tells you of your disruptive ways.  By striving to implement redemptive strategies, you shine the light and love of Christ into the soul of a difficult person.  In this process, whatever pain you experience from dealings with the difficult person will surely lessen.  Jesus did no less for you; you can do no more and no less for others.