As far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone.
—Romans 12:18
Paul prefaced today’s text with the phrase, “If it is possible” …
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
It’s not always possible, because you occasionally encounter someone who wakes up every day on the warpath.
Still, Proverbs serves up some nuggets of wisdom that help—as far as it depends on you—to maintain peaceful relationships. Here’s a quartet of them:
A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm (12:16 NLT).
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (15:1).
It is hard to stop a quarrel once it starts, so don’t let it begin (17:14 TLB).
There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking (29:20 NLT).
The best fight is the one you refuse to have.