Our Tuesday evening ladies’ class is studying the fruit of the spirit. As the teacher, I have found these lessons to be interesting but challenging.

We have spent several weeks talking about love, then joy, and now we are studying peace. If this topic sounds simple, think again. It is much more involved than I would have imagined.

Last week we spent our time in Romans 12, particularly verses 15-21. Paul does not spare words in telling us how important peace is to the Christian life. I would like to share with you Paul’s instructions to us about living in peace.

• “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep; with those who weep.”
• “Live in harmony with one another.”
• “Do not be haughty.”
• “Associate with the lowly.”
• “Never be wise in your own sight.”
• “Repay no one evil for evil.”
• “Give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”
• “Live peaceably with all.”
• “Never avenge yourselves.”
• “If your enemy is hungry, feed him.”
• “If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.”
• “Do not be overcome by evil.”
• “Overcome evil with good.”

You can actually go back to the beginning of the chapter to find a number of other things Paul commanded regarding our treatment of others. As you read through the chapter, you can quickly see that doing these things really is about changing our attitude.

When you look at that list, what do you see? I see the example of Christ.

• Jesus rejoiced with Mary and Martha when He raised their brother from the dead, but He wept at the tomb before He brought him back to life.
• Jesus lived in harmony with others, obeying God’s laws and the laws of the land.
• Jesus was never haughty, always giving God the credit for what He did.
• Jesus associated with the lowly, the publicans, a woman from Samaria considered unworthy by the Jews, disciples who were considered ordinary men. He condemned their sins, but He loved their souls.
• Jesus never considered Himself greater than the Father.
• He never did evil in payment for evil but rather prayed for those who mistreated Him.
• He did those things that honored the Father.
• He lived in peace in all things that were in His control.
• He did not attempt to “get even” with those who mistreated Him.
• He fed thousands, even His enemies.
• He didn’t let the evil brought on Him by Judas, the Romans, the Jews, or even His own unbelieving family cause Him to return that evil.

There is something else that caught my attention as we probed these verses. Look with me at verse 17. The verse reads, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.” Paul knew that one would need to “give thought” to do the honorable thing. Doing the right thing does not always occur naturally.

Doing right does not always come easy. It often requires that we think through what we are about to say or do. James said, “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20 ESV).

Anger does not normally produce peace. It usually gives rise to harsh words and more evident anger.

One other verse gave us some food for thought. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). You may know someone with whom you cannot live in peace. Whose fault is it? Is it yours or theirs? Paul tells us our concern is to not allow it to be our fault that we can’t get along with someone.

If you read the entire chapter, verse 10 stands out as a conclusion to all that Paul is talking about. He says, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” It is in our nature to try to outdo what others are doing. We need to outdo one another by showing honor to everyone else. In return, God will show honor to us.

Sandra Oliver