LOOK UP: Folks

(Part 3)

Psalm 121

¹I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? ²My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Def. Perspective. – A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

Synonyms: outlook, view, viewpoint, standpoint, position, stand, stance, angle, slant, attitude, a frame of mind, a frame of reference, approach, a way of looking, interpretation.

Perspective Changes Your Outlook.

Proverbs 23:7

⁷ For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…

I.                   WHAT IS A VERTICAL PERSPECTIVE

When our attitude or point of view, a frame of mind or reference is derived from what is on God’s mind rather than what we see, think, feel or wish.

II.                A VERTICAL PERSPECTIVE RESULTS IN BETTER RELATIONSHIPS

Success in life has a lot to do with people knowledge

In fact, leading an organization is about 95% people and 5% organizational knowledge

Learning to deal with people is the most important asset you can develop.  Success is 87% people knowledge and 13% product knowledge. 

“You can take my factories, burn up my buildings, but give me my people and I’ll build the business right back again.”

~ Henry Ford

III.             THE WORD OF GOD ON DEALING WITH PEOPLE

1.     Various relationships

Colossians 3:18-25

¹⁸ Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. ²⁰ Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. ²² Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ²³ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. ²⁵ But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality

1 Peter 5:5

⁵ Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Romans 12:10

¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

Romams12:16

¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

Ephesians 4:32

³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Romans 14:13

¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way

IV.             TEN TYPES OF DIFFICULT PEOPLE

1.     The Tank

A pushy, loud, and aggressive type that will attack others to get what he/she wants.

2.     The Sniper

Attacks others from a hiding place with tactics, for example, gossip and put-downs.

3.     The Know-It-All

“Knows 98% of everything,” feels superior, and refuses to listen to others.

4.     Think-They-Know-It-All

They don’t know much but would mislead and throw people off track because of the need for attention.

5.     The Grenade

Loses control of emotions and explodes with anger to gain attention.

6.      The Yes Person

Agrees with people quickly, but hardly fulfills promises and commitments.

7.      The Maybe Person

Delays decision-making until it’s too late.

8.      The Nothing Person

Shows no response, (verbal or nonverbal) with the intent to avoid mistakes

9.        The No Person

Squeezes the energy out of others by using negativity.

10.  The Whiner

Complains constantly without doing anything to solve the problem. The complaints are not of any benefit to the listener or the complainer.

V.                LOOKING UP HELPS YOU DEAL WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE

1.     Think about what you need from the Lord on a daily basis

Lamentations 3:21-23

²¹ This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. ²² Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness. ²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

Luke 18:1-8

Then He spoke a parable to them; that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, ² saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. ³ Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying. ‘ Get justice for me from my adversary’ ⁴ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, ⁵ yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” ⁶ Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. ⁷ And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? ⁸ I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

2.     Think about the fact the Lord is watching how we treat people

a.     Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses

Numbers 12:1-12

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. ² So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it….⁵ Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward…⁹ So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. ¹⁰ And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. ¹¹ So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned.

b.     Jacob who didn’t like Leah

Genesis 29:28-31

²⁸ Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. ²⁹ And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. ³⁰ Then Jacob also went into Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years. ³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

c.      How husbands treat wives

1 Peter 3:7

⁷ Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

d.     Cup of Cold Water to a little one

Matthew 10:42

⁴² And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

3.     Think about the fact that actions are seeds

a.      Judgment

Matthew 7:1-2

Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

b.     Mercy

Matthew 5:7

⁷ Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

c.      Forgiveness

Mark 11:25-26

²⁵ And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. ²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.

d.     Giving

Luke 6:38

³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

e.      Deeds

Matthew 7:12

¹² Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

4.     Think About the fact that God made everyone and loves humanity

Genesis 1:26

²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

                        Psalm 8:4-6

⁴ What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? ⁵ For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. ⁶ You have made him have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.