If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
The Bible is a wonderfully practical book. Its wisdom is both rich and realistic, and the longer we live, the more meaningfully we hear it speaking to our every situation. As we age, many of us realize that our parents were often correct in their warnings and wisdom; and as we walk by the light of God’s word, so it will be proven right in time, every time.
Paul displays this timeless, realistic wisdom here. On one hand, this sounds simplistic: just try to be at peace with everyone. It’s not difficult to understand. But that is not all he’s saying. The instruction is preceded by two qualifications: “if possible” and “so far as it depends on you.” The implication is that it may not always be possible!
Paul is not providing a loophole here. He’s not telling us to be at peace so long as we can control our temper or emotions, but otherwise we’re free to harbor bitterness. His call to us is to ensure that any ongoing conflict in our lives is in spite of us, not because of us. The responsibility for ongoing animosity must never be traceable to reluctance for reconciliation on our part.
But even if we’ve done our part, there are two situations in which peace may not be possible. One is when the other party is unwilling to be at peace with us. We may be dealing with someone intent on harming us and with no interest in resolving the conflict. In that situation, it may not be possible to change that person or prevent their cruelty—but it will be possible for us not to fight back. When we ensure that we are not contributing to the conflict, we are pursuing peace “so far as it depends on” us.
The other obstacle arises when the terms of peace are incompatible with principles of holiness, truth, and righteousness. The writer of Hebrews had such a situation in mind when he instructed his readers, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). These are not two disjointed instructions; our striving for peace and for holiness must not take us in separate directions. The pursuit of peace is not to become the pursuit of peace at any price. Some of us need to take care that our distaste for conflict and confrontation does not lead us to pursue peace at the cost of righteousness.
You cannot change a heart; that is the Lord’s business. You must not compromise your integrity; that is the Lord’s chief concern. But God is giving you an imperative, as much as it is up to you, that you pursue peace. Do you need to be prompted by this command to temper your words, change your behavior, or make the first step toward repairing a conflict, today?
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Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotional by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, The Good Book Company.
