If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Romans 12:18

There are those days and those people. I know you know what I mean. People breaking in lines, driving like fools, buying more toilet tissue than they could possibly need. You know. For two months, my wife couldn’t find paper towels. Who hoards paper towels?

Imagine being distracted at a traffic light only to be shocked when the guy behind you blows his horn because the light changed to green, and you didn’t move fast enough for him or her. You were distracted by the accident in the other lane. Now you hold contempt for the guy behind you who is obviously late for work and should have left his house 5 minutes earlier so HE or SHE wouldn’t have to rush. Oh, and those people who think differently than you about some political or social issue. That’s a topic for another day.

Each of these instances forces us into choices. Some are good, and some are not so good. But Scripture is good about giving us some information about relationships that is not always easy to practice. Let’s take a look.

 

Live Peaceably if Possible

I know what you’re thinking. “If possible” rarely happens. Tommy, you don’t understand the situations I experience. It isn’t possible that I live peaceably with everyone. I think you’re selling yourself and God short when you think this way. My grandfather was one of the nicest men I knew. I never knew his favorite verse in the Bible, but I did see that he tried to live this verse. He took it very seriously. He was a realtor and told me once that he would rather lose money and keep a friend than take the money and lose one. I wish you could have known him.

And by the way, when we think something is possible, we search deeply for all ways to make it happen. We don’t give up.

 

Live Peaceably Because it Does Depend on You

It does depend on you. When you think about complicated relationships, some things count on you.you can be assured that certain things depend on you. The one thing that you control is you. How you respond is most likely more important than how the other person responds. Your words have a way of quieting difficult conversations with aggravating kinds of people. God puts it this way, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1).” So it does depend on us to live peaceably. Can you respond to people in this way? It won’t be easy, but what is? Right?

 

Live Peaceably With All

The word “all” means “all.” When I read this, it makes me uncomfortable. It means that I should try everything I can to live peaceably with everyone. That means that those aggravating people need to see grace in my life. Why? Because God gives me grace when I don’t deserve it. God extends immeasurable grace to me every day.

So what do we do? We extend the same grace given to us. We forgive when it seems impossible. We love when it seems irrational. We help when it seems undeserved. We pray for when it seems unfixable. Do you see what Paul’s saying in this verse?

We must take responsibility. Are you ready to do that today and begin living peaceably with others who make it difficult? Maybe we’re the ones making it difficult.