Carolyn’s sister-in-law was coming to visit with her two children, and she and Carolyn usually disagreed about almost everything. However, Carolyn knew Denise was driving a long way and putting forth the effort to visit her family. She knew how important it was for her own children to have good relationships with their cousins and aunt, as well as what a good opportunity this was to live out the gospel and testify to what Jesus meant to her.

Within the first hour of her arrival, Denise criticized the way Carolyn had decorated the living room. But instead of firing back, Carolyn let the comments slide and asked Denise for suggestions about decorating.

Later Denise scorned the snacks Carolyn gave the kids, saying she was feeding them too much sugar. “You’re welcome to whatever is in our kitchen, Denise. Make yourself at home. If what we have here doesn’t work for you, we can go to the grocery.” Carolyn continued this attitude of humility throughout their visit, keeping peace by refusing to engage in petty arguments. It wasn’t easy, but by the end of the visit, Carolyn and Denise had several meaningful conversations and had made some fun memories with their kids. Denise actually thanked Carolyn for her hospitality and told her it was their best visit ever.

Living at peace with others doesn’t come naturally to us. But we can overlook offenses and strive for unity. If you have an especially tense relationship that often involves conflict, cover it in prayer and ask the Spirit to bring His peace between you.