personal maintenance levels

Everyone knows people that are difficult to get along with.  These people are demanding and ill tempered, it’s their way or the highway.  These finicky people are called high maintenance personnel and it requires a boat load of patience to be around them.  When things don’t go their way, they whine, they curse you and top everything off with threats.  High maintenance people can be beneficial to run with, just as long as you do what they demand.  I think most high maintenance people get their start as babies.  They cry and pitch a fit until mom and dad give them what they want.  As they grow they develop a slender number of “friends” they will associate with, friends that will cater to their flesh.
 
Mathew 15:11-12 It’s not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles him, it’s what comes out.  Then the disciples told Jesus that He offended the Pharisees by what He said.
 
Jesus did not “suck” up to these Pharisees, He called them blind leaders leading the blind into death.  Jesus had very little tolerance for high maintenance people because He would not compromise in order to appease them.  God will never change to accommodate any man, but every man must change to accommodate God.  Any reasonable, clear thinking man would rather be more like Jesus than the devil.  A lot of men are fine and content with who they are, they have no interest in improving on their character.  God will change no man against his will, He will offer the power and grace but ultimately the decision is ours.
 
Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
 
So, when do we draw the line?  When does it become unbearable to attempt a peaceful relationship?  If it ever gets to the point where you must compromise the Word in order to appease someone, you are not liable.  I have known some people who were spoiled brats as kids, but other kids would not tolerate their behavior and they had to change or risk isolation.  They learned some hard lessons they should have been taught at home.  There was always some who would never change, they demanded to be catered to.  Life for these folks was always harder than it needed to be, some of us had to work for these folks because they became supervisors.
 
Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
 
If we will commit to this verse of Scripture we can lower our maintenance level and be accepted by a lot of good people.  People who are easy to deal with attract a lot of people, they have a non-threatening personality.  High maintenance people seem to become threatened by these folks and they can never figure out why they are so popular.  Standing up to these people will wear you out, but believe me, they need your strength.  We do not help them by allowing their attitude to turn people away.  We can’t change anyone, but we can always be low maintenance and draw many to ourselves. 

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