Giving thanks for difficult people

I was intrigued today to read a comment about how God can use all kinds of people to mature my character. The Jews of Jeremiah's day were told "Serve the king of Baylon, and you will live"( Jer. 27:17). Instead of their own (good) king Hezekiah curing the people of idolatry, the people were placed under pagan king Nebuchadnezzar to be taught a lesson! And W. Glyn Evans comments:

The lesson for me is, my touchy neighbor may do me more good than my godly pastor. My atheistic foreman at the factory may purge me from my impatience faster and better than my Bible class teacher.......that means I must change my attitude toward the "unspiritual" and "worldly minded" people who make up my environment. Without them I can never become what God intends for me to be. So I am going to start praising God for them!

Easier said than done - but quite a challenge!