Live At Peace With Everyone

Everyone desires peace, yet we often struggle to maintain it with those around us. When we realize that living in harmony with everyone is not always possible, we tend to portray ourselves as peace-loving individuals and blame others for disturbing our peace. In his letter to the Romans, Paul advised believers to live at peace with others, but he included the phrase “if possible,” which acknowledges the reality that peace with everyone may not always be achievable.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. – Romans 12:18 (NIV)

Consider the example of a woman who discovers that her partner has been unfaithful. She may present herself as a sincere and innocent lover, shocked by his betrayal. In truth, she is overwhelmed by anger and frustration, but she seeks sympathy by portraying herself as the victim, redirecting blame and social condemnation toward the man. This reaction, though emotionally charged, is often a calculated move to gain support.

As followers of Jesus, don’t we sometimes act the same way? Seeking sympathy and support, we shift blame onto others, whether our claims are genuine or not. Often, the one who speaks first and with emotion wins the crowd’s favor, and people begin to despise someone based solely on a one-sided account. To understand this dynamic, we can look to the story of Potiphar’s wife, who falsely accused Joseph and rallied support against an innocent man.

Why Keeping Peace Is Difficult

The primary reason for this issue is that people naturally crave something to talk about. When they come across such situations, their eagerness to gossip overrides their desire—or even ability—to pause and consider the truth. In Joseph’s case, his response to temptation was rare and unexpected. Most people couldn’t even imagine someone refusing such an invitation to sin because they long for such opportunities. Instead of examining the facts, they quickly formed their judgment based on lies.

Sadly, many believers in Jesus struggle to distinguish themselves from the crowd. Instead of standing apart, they adopt the same patterns of thought and behavior as the world, and as a result, this kind of hasty and false judgment is widespread even within the church community.

A true follower of Christ, however, feels no pressure to conform to worldly ways. Ironically, they are often the ones blamed for things they neither did nor understood. Are you facing such a situation? Do you feel disheartened because you weren’t able to present your side of the story before people formed opinions based on false accusations? Or are you tirelessly trying to justify yourself to those who have already chosen to believe a lie?

If so, know that you’re likely wasting your time and draining your energy. People won’t understand you—not because you’re unclear, but because they’ve never faced the situation the way you have. To them, their own flawed reactions seem entirely justified.

What’s more troubling is how this affects those who have done no wrong. In their ignorance, many urge the innocent to maintain peace by asking for forgiveness from those who have actually wronged them. This misguided attempt at reconciliation ignores the deeper issue of injustice. It places an unfair burden on the one who is already hurting and seeks to restore peace without acknowledging the pain or addressing the truth.

Such actions don’t heal wounds—they deepen them. Rather than fostering genuine peace, this approach creates internal frustration and emotional exhaustion. It leads to a false peace built on silence and suppression, not on truth and restoration.

Sharing His Suffering, Standing In His Grace

Some spiritual leaders do not understand that true peace cannot be forced or fabricated. It must be rooted in honesty, humility, and God’s wisdom. And sometimes, peace means setting boundaries, standing for what is right, and allowing God to bring justice in His time.

As believers, we are called not just to pursue peace, but to pursue truthful peace—peace that doesn’t come at the cost of integrity. In doing so, we reflect the heart of Christ, who never compromised truth for the sake of comfort.

Even Jesus, who knew no sin, was counted among the sinners. He did not defend Himself or argue His case. Instead, He submitted to the will of the Father, all the way to death on the cross. He had every opportunity to justify Himself and avoid the punishment—but had He done so, the consequence of sin would have fallen on us instead.

When we find ourselves in difficult and unjust situations, let us remember that God fulfilled His plan of redemption through the false accusations laid against Jesus. Likewise, when we choose to stand with God rather than fight back against falsehoods, He can still accomplish His purpose in our lives. We may not always understand His plan, but we are called to trust our Father in Heaven even in the absence of clarity.

In the Old Testament, prophets were often instructed to deliver God’s message without fully grasping its meaning. They obeyed not because they understood, but because they trusted the One who sent them. Even today, though we have the Spirit of God within us, understanding His thoughts remains a challenge. Yet obedience and trust are always pleasing to God. It is through our faithfulness that He fulfills His will—not only for our good but also for the blessing of others.

Sometimes, even those who know we are innocent may begin to view us no differently than our accusers. Because we were once close to them—sharing life, meals, and fellowship—they may see us as equally guilty. In some cases, they may even view our accusers more favorably than us. This painful reality is part of the suffering God allows so that we might share in the shame that His Son once bore. And just as Jesus was glorified, so too will we be rewarded in due time.

“Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.” – Isaiah 53:12 (NIV)

This promise is not just a record of what Christ endured—it is a path we are invited to walk. It becomes a reality when we, like Him, bear false accusations and choose to intercede for those who wrong us. May God grant us the grace to do so, just as He gave that same grace to His Son.

Job was the first to experience the blessing that followed such a posture of intercession. He prayed for his friends who misunderstood and misjudged him—and God restored him. Why not us? Let us be willing to stand in that same place of honor and receive the reward that comes from trusting and obeying, even in suffering.

Love Thy Neighbour As You Love Thyself

Religion and the church encourage people to seek reconciliation face-to-face to uphold unity within the body of Christ. Similarly, societal norms often draw from moral tales that promote forgiveness and peaceful living. However, when we step beyond these conventions and truly follow Jesus—the Way—He calls us to a deeper standard:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
— Matthew 5:43-45 (NIV)

Jesus teaches us to love in a way that even includes those who hurt us or tarnish our reputation—praying for them so that they too might experience God’s forgiveness. He modeled this love on the cross, saying, “They do not know what they are doing.” Those who falsely accuse us often lack awareness on two levels: first, they don’t realize that their actions are wrong—each person typically believes their own perspective is right. Second, they don’t know that we are already forgiven children of our Father in heaven.

Jesus responded not with anger, but with compassion. In the same way, our own anger should give way to pity, recognizing that these individuals are spiritually lost. When frustration overwhelms our hearts, it becomes difficult even to love ourselves—making it impossible to love others as we’re called to.

But if we do love ourselves, what will we do when we sin? We won’t rush to expose our faults publicly; instead, we will come before God privately, seeking His mercy. In the same way, Jesus doesn’t require outward gestures like handshakes or hugs to prove our forgiveness—He desires something deeper.

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. – Matthew 24:12-13 (NIV)

Let us be mindful not to let the shortcomings of others extinguish the love within us. Instead, let us remain closely connected to Christ, who leads us toward the next stage of our salvation—eternal life. Through the teachings of Jesus, it is always possible to live in peace with others, to love them sincerely, and to encourage them to stay focused on their eternal destination.