Crazymakers

   

Galatians 5:22-24

Over the years people have occasionally asked me what I might have done if I hadn’t become a pastor.  Well, during at least part of my teen years I thought I might have wanted to be a veterinarian. Then, too, I considered becoming a high school history teacher.  Sometimes they update the question and ask, if you weren’t a pastor what would you like to do.  Then, I admit I’ve been bitten by the CSI bug and wonder if getting into forensics might be interesting.  But I can’t recall ever thinking, “You know, I think I’d like to be a trash collector.”

It’s not that the work isn’t important.  Just let the collectors go on strike for a couple weeks during the summer and you’ll know how important their work is.  It’s just I don’t like handling my own trash—let alone someone else’s. 

Having made that point, I do recall some occasions when I’ve been around when the trash was being collected. The collectors were shouting back and forth, laughing at some joke I hadn’t heard.  When I hear that, I’m reminded that an important part of any job is the people we have to work with.  A job doing what you enjoy can be made unbearable if you have to work with louts; a job that stinks can be tolerated if you work with the right people.

At work, at family gatherings, in the neighborhood we often encounter difficult people.

We even understand Julie Hays’ observation:  “The first thing about dealing with difficult people is realizing that they think it’s you.”

As I talk about difficult people, I’m going to focus on the difficult people we meet at the workplace.  I’m doing this because these are the hardest of the difficult people to avoid.  You can skip the family reunion, you can cut your grass at midnight to avoid talking to that neighbor (not really but you get the point), but you have to go to work.

Most of us would agree that the most difficult of the difficult people we encounter at the workplace are the crazymakers.  These are the men and women whose behavior causes us to do what we would never ordinarily do, the coworker whose behavior prompts us to want to run screaming into the night.

Who are these people?

1.  The Constant Critic.

You know these people.  Nothing ever pleases them.  They criticize everyone and everything.  The constant critic may be motivated by pride, believing that no one can ever do the work as well as they can.  Any new idea is immediately shot down by these critics.

The constant critic is like an icy patch under the wheels of progress.

2.  The Needy Know-It-All.

Remember Cliff Klaven on Cheers?  Cliff was a master of trivia, a man who could tell you the variety of tree used to make Washington’s false teeth. 

Cliff was a needy, insecure person.  You knew that but he could still make people crazy.

The needy know-it-all needs to let people know how erudite he is.  She needs to prove she is not just interested in recipes and dress sales—she is capable of profound thought.

The great problem with the needy know-it-all is how they can slow down the work.

3.  The Anger Addict.

The anger addict has a short fuse which is inevitably lit by the simplest spark.  Such men and women may be addicted to the adrenaline rush which comes with anger.

In the workplace, their anger has the potential to slow down or stop helpful discussion because people are afraid of causing an explosion.

When the anger addict is a supervisor or manager, you may be reluctant to point out problems with the system.  The problems are just perpetuated.

In the face of an anger addict, your only hope may be a perceptive supervisor who is able to get that individual under control or out of the way.

4.  The Devilish Debater.

This person takes delight or gets a rush from arguments.  He or she may bait you, try to trap you into an argument.  Archibald Hart says some people have honed their skill at arguing just so they may know the satisfaction of seeing you frustrated and angry.

These people aren’t raising legitimate questions about an issue;   they are arguing to show they are more clever than whoever they’re arguing with.  The truth of the matter is, they will argue about anything.  They can devastate a team’s morale.

Sometimes the best you can do is ignore the devilish debater.  Answer his argument with a simple, “Ah, that’s interesting.”  Then walk away.  Don’t take their bait.

5.  The Jaded Jerk.

This is the bully who just doesn’t care if you have a life outside work.  Nothing can be as important as his projects. 

If something didn’t work after following her instructions to the letter, the failure is still your fault.

This is one of the hardest crazymakers to deals with because you have no recourse.  Often you can’t go to someone above your boss because breaking the chain of command is frowned upon.  So you just endure.

ALL KINDS OF CRAZYMAKERS

Of course, there are all kinds of crazymakers.  How do we handle them?

In Galatians, Paul talks of the qualities which ought to distinguish the Christian character.  The name he gives this collection of traits is “the fruit of the Spirit.”  That name is significant because it points to the source of these characteristics.  They are generated in the Christian through the work of the Holy Spirit.  They are not the product of self-effort, they have a supernatural origin. 

The reference to “the fruit of the Spirit” is a reminder that the Spirit not only works to make us more effective in doing the work of evangelism, He works within us to create a Christlike character.  A brief look at these qualities and it will be clear that those possessing such characteristics will bear a strong resemblance to Jesus Christ.

His love seeks the best for others.  His joy is unshaken by circumstances and the way others might treat him.  His peace keeps him steady in difficulty.  His patience was legendary, as he dealt with that band of crazymakers known as the Twelve Apostles.  Every one of these characteristics was found in him.  Through the work of the Holy Spirit, they may be found in us.

The demonstration of that character is best seen in our relationship with others and our responses to what life brings our way.

While Paul would argue that the fruit of the Spirit ought to be manifested in every situation, our concern is how we might demonstrate them in the face of the crazymakers.

How can we do this?  Let me offer a few suggestions.

1.  Approach those crazymakers with patient understanding.

Most people are looking for what Aretha Franklin called RESPECT.  Respect begins with trying to understand a person and what motivates them.

Many crazymakers are just trying to get people to notice them, to take them seriously. 

With the Spirit’s help, we can look beyond the surface matters.  We can come to see them as individuals loved by God and for whom Christ died.

2.  Approach them with sensible self-respect.

Sometimes the crazymakers throw us off balance because they challenge our own sense of worth. 

Don’t let the crazymaker make you forget that you are smart, trained, and capable.

3.  Approach them with our priorities determined.

Whether we encounter them at work or at church, crazymakers can keep us from staying focused.  As we allow the Spirit to inspire “faithfulness” within us, we will be able to stay on track. 

Then, we will major on the majors

4.  We should approach them with a refusal to behave in kind.

The quality of “self-control” will keep us from joining the crazies.  We might possess the capacity to blast them out of the water but we restrain ourselves, so we may be encouraging and effective.

In today’s workplace, when dealing with some of these crazymakers it might be a good idea to behave like a Luddite.  The Luddites were 19^th century English workers who felt modern technology had put them out of work.  The Luddites rioted and destroyed the looms in the weaving factories.  You shouldn’t toss the mainframe out a fifth-floor window but you should keep in mind that technology has its drawbacks. 

I think email is great but it immediacy can tempt you to respond without thinking.  Maybe you should give yourself a few minutes before you respond to the infuriating email you got from a crazymaker.

5.  We should approach them with a God-given graciousness.

Take the quality of “meekness,” for example.  Many would think of it as that trait which produces doormats.  It’s not.  Meekness is strength under control.  Our failure to lash out is not weakness; it is a reflection of great strength.

6.  We should hold onto the hope that things might get better.

Something might happen to transform the crazymakers.  It can happen.  Pray for that crazymaker.  It couldn’t hurt. 

Remember too that your workplace might change or you might change workplaces.

7.  We should make sure our support systems are intact.

Pity the person whose only contact with people is at work.  On our trip to London I found myself in a convenience store as thousands of young workers were heading home. Many of them dashed into the store to buy sandwiches or other pre-made meals before heading off to their flats.  I couldn’t help but think of how lonely their lives must be.  Then I remembered that in our country about 25% eat dinner alone each night.  That must include many who desperately need someone who’ll listen as they talk over the day, its frustrations and its aggravations.

Family and friends can be part of that support system.  So can the church. In England where the percentage of church attendance is in the single digits, many of these young people don’t have concerned fellow Christians they can turn to when things are tough.  Here in the States the younger generation is increasingly absent from church. 

Conclusion

Crazymakers don’t have to make us crazy.  With the Spirit’s help, we can endure our encounters with them and maintain a bright witness to the power of the Gospel.