19/08/2026
One of the hardest things about serving in the Church is realizing that not everyone you serve with will be easy to deal with.
Sometimes, the people who hurt us are not strangers. They are the people we worship with, serve with, sing with, or see every Sunday.
And perhaps this is where our faith is truly tested.
It is easy to love the Church when everyone agrees with us. It is easy to serve when we feel appreciated. But what happens when there is misunderstanding, criticism, pride, competition, or even people who make our ministry difficult?
I’ve learned that not every battle needs to be won, and not every disagreement needs to become a personal conflict.
As people involved in ministry, we sometimes forget that we are not serving because of the people around us. We are serving because of God.
So when someone becomes difficult, perhaps the first thing we need to ask is not, “How can I prove that I am right?” but “How can I respond in a way that still reflects Christ?”
That doesn’t mean tolerating everything.
There are times when we need to speak. There are times when we need to set boundaries. There are times when we need to correct something that is genuinely wrong. Being Christian does not mean allowing ourselves to be abused or constantly disrespected.
But we can correct without humiliating.
We can disagree some times.
We can distance ourselves without wishing someone harm.
And we can defend what is right without turning our ministry into a battlefield.
I’ve also realized that sometimes, the difficult person is not necessarily our enemy. They may simply be carrying their own wounds, insecurities, frustrations, or struggles that we don’t see.
And sometimes, we might also be the difficult person in someone else’s story.
That thought alone should make us humble.
At the end of the day, the Church is made up of imperfect people trying, in different ways, to follow a perfect God.
So when dealing with difficult people in the Church, perhaps the goal isn’t to change them.
Maybe the goal is to make sure that their difficult behavior doesn’t change the kind of Christian we choose to become.
Keep serving.
Keep praying.
Speak when necessary.
Set boundaries when needed.
Forgive when you can.
And when you cannot understand someone, entrust them to God.
Because ministry is not about having perfect people around us.
It is about becoming more like Christ even when the people around us make it difficult.
