How to Live In a World With Prideful Entitled People
They’re everywhere. You may even live with one or…
Prideful Entitled People! The overbearing, snooty, difficult to get along with, have to have it their way individuals.
Whatever you call them, it’s hard to avoid getting caught up in their drama. They seem to have the ability to suck the joy out of every event and gathering as they strive to control everyone and everything around them.
The thing is, proud and entitled people are part of life. Entitled people have been around since sin entered the world. And if we’re being honest, we all have our moments of prideful entitlement.
So, it’s up to you and me to surrender to the Lord and ask for help.
Help to reject our own selfishness, and help to live and work with everyone else. So, let’s look at God’s Word and apply His wisdom to remain humble, patient, and strong.
Easy, right?!
How to Live with Prideful, Entitled People
Here are some things you and I can do, or resist doing, to co-exist with prideful, entitled people.
1. Refuse to take words or actions personally.
Remember, the words and actions of others reveal more about them than they do about us.
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.
Proverbs 12:15–16
2. Remember whose you are.
You were created by God because He wanted someone exactly like you to live at this time and place for His plans and purposes. You are loved by the Great I AM!
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
Psalm 139:13, 16
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
3. Remain calm and patient by surrendering to God’s wisdom and will.
God may be using them to teach you patience and using you to show them His love.
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:5–6
3. Remain calm and patient by surrendering to God’s control.
Don’t let yourself get drawn into bad behavior.
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
James 1:19–20
5. Resolve to be polite and kind always.
Practice kindness. Practice patience. Practice forgiveness. Speak the truth in love with kindness and respect.
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Ephesians 4:15–16
6. Rest within careful, wise boundaries.
Manage the amount of time you spend together if you can. Manage the number of words you use. Set limits to help you manage your attitude.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2
“A strong strand throughout the Bible stresses that you are to GIVE to needs and put LIMITS on sin. Boundaries help you do just that.” ~Henry Cloud
7. PRAY! Pray for wisdom, patience, and help to react and respond like Jesus.
You may feel helpless and frustrated. That’s completely understandable. But you’re not! You are connected to the One who loves you. And He loves them too! So, ask God to work in them, and to help you and use you; however, whenever, and wherever He chooses.
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:44–45a
Let’s pray…
A Prayer for God’s Help to Live with
Prideful, Entitled People
Heavenly Father, You are love. You love people, everyone You created in Your own image. You created each of us to love You and one another.
Since sin entered our hearts and turned us into prideful, entitled people, we don’t love You or people the way You wanted. We each think about ourselves more than we should. We all want what we want, when we want it.
Jesus lived among us, and He taught us and showed us how to live a life filled with Your love. Still, we fail. Please forgive us. Please forgive me.
Why is it so easy for me to see the pride and entitlement in others, while ignoring it in myself? I realize that many of the things that annoy me in the people around me are the things I dislike in myself.
Please help me take the log out of my own eye before I worry about the splinters in others. Then graciously give me everything I need to deal with the attitudes, words, and actions of others.
Give me the patience and strength I need not to take their selfish attitudes personally. Help me remember that I belong to You through the gracious gift of Jesus. Please make me patient, humble, and kind. And please help me control myself, knowing that it’s not up to me to change the people around me.
Please give me wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. Help me model the love of my Lord and Savior, Jesus. In whose name I pray. Amen.
Wouldn’t it be nice if all our relationships and interactions were easy? If we all were kind, caring, compassionate, and humble 100% of the time? If we never had to deal with difficult people?
I’m in! But that’s not life in our present sinful world. We’re all prideful, entitled people occasionally.
Praise God for His grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love.
Although we can’t change other people’s behavior, with God’s help, we can control our own. We can guard our hearts, control our words, set safe boundaries, and wisely surrender all to the Lord.
And we can pray … pray … pray for humble, loving hearts.
I’m curious. Do you have any wisdom to add? Things that have helped you live in this world with prideful, entitled people?
We would love to pray for you.
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I needed your message this morning. I would love a copy of 30 Ways to Bless Your Marriage and Keep the Spark Burning to print and share with the ladies in our fall Bible study group. I enjoy and look forward to your messages. Blessings, Teresa
We cannot control other people and their behavior, but with God’s help, we can certainly control our own. Such timely and wise advice here today, Deb. Blessings!