Messy Advice For People Who Care | For the People Who Rub You the Wrong Way
Description
Today's question: How do you genuinely love the people in your life who are the hardest to be around, without faking it or losing your cool?
Your messy adviser, Johan, brings both humour and honesty to the not-so-glamorous side of caring for others—especially when that “love your neighbour” call feels more like a workout than a warm hug. Drawing from both everyday stories and biblical wisdom, the conversation invites listeners to reflect on personality clashes, emotional labour, and the challenge of real connection in community. It’s a quick but candid chat for anyone who’s ever gritted their teeth while nodding politely, offering both empathy and thought-provoking questions for your own faith journey this summer.
CareImpact Podcast Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19rkPGbD7C/
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Johan Heinrichs [00:00:00]:
This one's for anyone who's ever served faithfully and secretly hoped that one person wouldn't show up this week. Let's be honest. There's a kind of love that flows easily. It makes you feel like a better version of yourself. And then there's the kind that leaves you clenching your jaw while quoting scripture in your head like a coping mechanism. Loving people who drain, derail, or disrupt us isn't just hard, it's humbling. It reveals what we expected love to feel like, mutual, comfortable, and satisfying. And when it's not, we start asking if it counts.
Johan Heinrichs [00:00:33]:
You know the feeling. You're running a small group. Someone raises their hand, and every part of you braces. It's gonna end in a rant or an unsolicited life update. You smile, you nod, and you start praying for either divine interruption or a pre trib rapture. And this is messy advice for people who care, for anyone who loves others at a deep conviction and occasional passive aggression. I'm your host, Johan here on the edge of helpful, offering wisdom from somewhere between loving your neighbor and secretly muting their texts. Today's question is one that we probably wrestle with, but we don't like to make public because we're genuinely nice people that love everyone.
Johan Heinrichs [00:01:12]:
Let's get right into it. There are people in my community I genuinely care about, but they're hard to be around. They dominate conversations or complain constantly or just rub me the wrong way. How do I love them without faking it or losing it? Okay. So if you've ever debated whether loving your neighbor had a clause for personality clashes, this episode is for you and definitely one for me. According to a 2022 Mental Health Research Canada survey, over sixty percent of Canadians say they regularly engage in emotional labor during everyday interactions, especially with people that they find difficult. It turns out that we're a nation of polite nodders and internal eye rollers. We're not ignoring people.
Johan Heinrichs [00:02:00]:
We're editing ourselves to keep the peace, which is noble and exhausting. So what do you do when someone's draining your energy, but not your love? When the care is present, but patience is on a smoke break. Okay. We know that there's people that you'd bake a cake for, and then people you'd bake a cake just to put something in their mouth so that they'll stop talking for a while. Consider this scenario. You're in a group conversation, and then that one person hijacks it again. They tell a story, ignore the room's vibe, and keep going long after the wrap up. Energy is settled in.
Johan Heinrichs [00:02:39]:
You try to stay engaged. You smile. You nod. You secretly Google active listening facial expressions. You love them. You really do. But loving them has started to feel like low level spiritual cardio. Here's another scenario.
Johan Heinrichs [00:02:54]:
It's someone in your circle who always needs something. Your time, your ear, your availability, but they rarely ask how you're doing. But you listen anyway. You show up. But over time, their presence starts to feel like a withdrawal, and your compassion account is running low. And then you feel guilty because you're tired of someone God told you to love. Let's take a look at what scripture has to say. Let's get biblical.
Johan Heinrichs [00:03:22]:
Biblical. We're looking at Jesus and his disciples out of Mark nine. You see, Jesus' own disciples weren't exactly easy. They argued about who is the greatest. They misunderstood his mission all the time. They fell asleep when he needed them. They tried to block children from getting close to him when Jesus obviously loved kids. And if they were in a small group, someone would have started a do not let Peter talk first policy.
Johan Heinrichs [00:03:51]:
I'm sure of it. And yet, Jesus doesn't shame them. He sits them down. He brings a child right into the center, and he says, whoever wants to be first must be the very last and a servant of all. He doesn't just correct their behavior. He reframes greatness, not as power, but as presence, not as status, but as service, even when the people around you are wearing you down. You see, Jesus didn't require people to be easy in order to stay in community with them, and neither should we. Let's take a second.
Johan Heinrichs [00:04:27]:
Who are the people who feel hardest to love in your life right now? Are you showing up for them with pressure or with purpose? Because love without boundaries becomes burnout. But love with boundaries, that's where the spirit breathes. Loving difficult people doesn't always make you a spiritual pushover. It makes you a person trying to show up sincerely even when it's hard. You're not failing just because it's frustrating. You're growing one act at a time. So if you've been loving someone who stretches your patience more than your heart, keep going. Not because they deserve it, but because love can be stubborn too.
Johan Heinrichs [00:05:07]:
You got a question about caring for difficult people? Maybe you're struggling with this and wanna be with a group of like minded individuals asking the same questions. Head over to our Care Impact podcast group on Facebook, or you can just connect with us on our website at CareImpact.ca. Until next time, keep loving, keep laughing. And if you've ever needed a deep breath before replying to someone's voice note, that counts as spiritual maturity, and always remember to stay curious.
