“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” — Romans 12:18 NIV

It’s always funny to see the memes on social media that convey the message that it’s easier to live with our pets than it is to live with other people. We can all relate to experiencing conflicts between personalities. However, God does ask that we live in harmony with other people, as best we can.

We can’t control how others react but we can control our own behavior, and that is what God asks of us. Living at peace with others requires that we first avoid causing unnecessary conflicts in our relationship with others. We do that by being considerate of others. We do that by mentally putting ourselves into their circumstances and realizing that we may take the same view if we were them. We all look at the world through the perspective of how we were raised, the religious outlook we were influenced with, and whatever preconceived ideas we carry with us.

Living in harmony is sometimes extending grace to others for bad decisions and overlooking imperfections. It’s easier to do when we realize our own lives are marred by flaws and bad choices. When we are in harmony with God, we’ll find it easier to live in harmony with others.