To the Coworker that Gets Under Your Skin

It’s easy to love the people who are kind to us. The ones who bring coffee or snacks to the meeting, check in on how your weekend was, or laugh at your terrible dad jokes. But what about the ones who seem determined to make your workday miserable? The coworker who talks over you in meetings. The one who takes credit for your ideas. The one whose words sting long after you’ve logged off for the day.

I’ve been there. Sitting in my car before work, praying the same desperate prayer, “Lord, please help me not lose it today.” It’s exhausting when your peace feels tied to someone else’s behavior. But the truth is... God never called us to be peacekeepers who avoid conflict. He called us to be peacemakers who reflect His heart even when it hurts.

Jesus knew what it meant to deal with difficult people. He was betrayed, lied about, misunderstood, and mocked. Yet in His pain, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

That doesn’t mean you have to pretend the hurt isn’t real. Boundaries are holy. Speaking truth in love is necessary. But bitterness? That’s poison to your soul.

So, what can you do with that frustrating coworker?

You start by surrendering them to Jesus. You pray for them—not the sarcastic “bless their heart” kind of prayer, but the real kind that asks God to heal what’s broken in them. And in you. You choose compassion over retaliation. You remember that you, too, have been hard to love at times.

And when you walk into that office, cubicle, or Zoom call, you carry grace like it’s your assignment. Because it is.

Someone in your workplace needs to see Jesus through you, and maybe, just maybe, it starts with how you love the one who’s hardest to love.