Peace Doesn’t Start With Them

Conflict is a part of life, but waiting for the other person to change first can keep us stuck in frustration and division.

In this episode of 5 Minutes & Coffee, we explores what it means to be a peacemaker and why Scripture teaches that peace often begins with our own actions. Drawing from Romans 12:18, the focus is not on controlling how others respond, but on doing our part to pursue peace as far as it depends on us.

Being a peacemaker doesn’t mean ignoring truth or avoiding difficult situations. It means choosing humility, patience, and wisdom even when others may not.

This episode is a reminder that while we cannot control another person’s heart, we are responsible for our own — and God calls us to pursue peace whenever possible.

Talitha Coffee
Talitha Coffee is on a mission to end human trafficking and empower survivors, one cup at a time.

Jacobs & Associates, CPA, LLC,
Financial guidance tailored for small businesses and nonprofits.

Logos - Bible Software
Bible Software for deep study.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Hello everybody, welcome to another episode of 5 Minutes and Coffee. My name is Jerry and I am happy to be sharing God's word with you. Today I want to talk about being at peace and not just whether or not someone is giving you peace, but as much as it depends on you being at peace with others. One of the biblical figures that I think about is Jacob. Think about Jacob. He was blessed. He stole the birthright from Esau. Jacob had the birthright, and God told him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Jacob was to be blessed. But when we look in Genesis chapter 47, and Joseph, who is second in power at that time, is there with Pharaoh and his father. Pharaoh asks Jacob a question. He says, How old are you? And after Jacob gives his age, he says, My life has been short and painful. And that has stuck with me for some time because he's Jacob. He's been blessed by God. He's wrestled with God. He has so much. But then he describes his life as painful. And then I think of David. David was anointed by Samuel to become king. However, before he got there, he was living in caves. He was running for his life. He had to pretend to be crazy because Saul wanted to kill him. And then when it was time for him to take the kingdom, he had to fight for it. And then when he got the kingdom, he started having other issues. When we think about how God still continually speaks about David, it makes you wonder if God looked at David like that, why wasn't his life easier and why wasn't his life better? And then when we think about Paul, all of the abuse that he took for the sake of the gospel, it wasn't fair with the way that he was treated. And even Jesus himself, who had done no wrong, was crucified on our behalf. So what does all of this have to do with you? And what does this have to do with peace? What I am seeing today is that we are allowing this world to steal our peace because it's not the way that we pictured. We are not wanting to communicate with a certain group, or we're not wanting to love a certain person simply because we don't think the way that they're behaving is fair. And granted, it may not be fair, but what God commands us is as much as it depends on you. So my goal today is to encourage you that despite what is happening, despite all of the hardships and the unfairness, that you remain focused on the word of God and what he says. When Jesus says, in this life you will have trouble, he wasn't just saying it. When God is commanding us to be faithful, he wasn't just saying it. He's telling us all of these things so that we can be faithful to him. So, as much as it depends upon you, be at peace with others. Go out and be peacekeepers, and do not allow Satan to destroy the peace that you have and the light that you bring to this world. If you have found that this episode was encouraging to you or that you benefited from it in some way, my ask is that you just share it with just one person. This is Jerry with five minutes in common.