Be at peace among yourselves.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 ESV ¹² We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵ See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil. ²³ Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Be at peace among yourselves.

There is so much conflict these days — between family members and friends, in work places and worship places, between countries and in all corners of the world. Where can we find peace? I cannot control anything or anyone except for myself and how I approach things. And, furthermore, any healthy idea I may even entertain comes from God. When I am reconciled to God — which is all His doing — my heart can rest and be at peace. It doesn’t solve all of the other problems, but it is the start. If my heart is not at peace with God, how can I even think of being at peace with others? The true beginning of being at peace among ourselves is being at peace with God.