How should I respond when people annoy me?
Here's the answer:
You are to be kind to all people, even those that annoy you.
There are many people who tend to annoy us. Maybe this is your little brother, who talks with his mouth full, or your friend, who can’t put her phone down. Both of these things can annoy us and cause us to become irritated. While we cannot control other people’s actions, we can control our own. This means that even when people are annoying us, we need to be kind, forgiving, and loving instead of hateful or angry.
God has given us a Spirit of self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). This means that the Holy Spirit can help us with our self-control and temper. Instead of growing annoyed, the Holy Spirit can help us be patient and kind. Sometimes, pride is the cause of our annoyance. If this is true, we need to abandon a prideful mindset.
Rather than being prideful, we need to be humble. This will help us to be more empathic and caring toward others. Ask the Lord to help you grow a heart of understanding, kindness, and love. The Holy Spirit will help you develop the fruit of the Spirit in order to conduct yourself in a way worthy of Jesus (Galatians 5:22–23). At the end of the day, we are called to love all people, including those who annoy us.
Bible Truth
"I give you a new command. Love one another. You must love one another, just as I have loved you. If you love one another, everyone will know you are my disciples" (John 13:34–35).
"You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. Put up with one another. Forgive one another if you are holding something against someone. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you" (Colossians 3:12–13).
"Hate stirs up fights. But love erases all sins by forgiving them" (Proverbs 10:12).
