“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” — Romans 12:18
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Penn State quarterback Drew Allar was drafted in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft at No. 76 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers tend to start a veteran quarterback and often rely more on defense than most teams, so they may develop Allar for a few years before he becomes a starter. It could be frustrating for Allar to wait for a prominent role on the team; he’s currently listed fourth on the depth chart.
It’s not uncommon for college stars to walk into a professional team expecting to get a lot of attention like they did in college. But when players are focused on themselves, they can hurt team harmony. People are often like sandpaper to one another when they live and work in close quarters. Sometimes people push buttons or provoke us, but it’s up to us to practice patience.
In the Bible, the Lord gave several keys to promoting and preserving peace in our lives. When we have a history of conflict with someone and that person annoys us regularly, it’s not easy to speak kindly or have positive thoughts toward that person. By God’s grace and with the Holy Spirit working in our hearts and minds, we can delete past hurts, forgive and move forward with a better perspective (Philippians 3:13-14).
Constant complaining is spoken of as sinful throughout Scripture. The Lord knows we’re human and get frustrated, but He wants us to find ways to encourage others with gentleness (Romans 14:19). We all appreciate when we hear kind words rather than griping — we’re more likely to move others to a better place with sugar instead of vinegar. People respond to those who listen to another point of view and plead gently rather than using harsh and angry words.
In working toward peace, we need to keep in mind that it isn’t easy to develop and keep good relationships with others. It’s natural to prefer personal comfort, but God calls Christians to a supernatural way of living where we find joy in being unselfish like Jesus did. Surely, Jesus didn’t insist on His own way; He came to serve (Matthew 20:28).
If we’re realistic, we know we’re all selfish by nature and need to shift our focus away from satisfying our personal preferences. We need to think deeper about the greater good for churches, communities, our nation and the world.
The Christian life starts with believing in Jesus, but it’s a journey to be more humble and less selfish. Paul said he promoted Christ and not himself (2 Corinthians 4:5), and John said we shouldn’t call ourselves Christians unless we are living like Christ and growing in His likeness (1 John 2:6).
We can work toward peace through edification, removing complaints from our lips, and serving others with a humble heart. If our society focused on these things instead of selfish ambitions, we probably wouldn’t feel like we’re hanging on by a thread.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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