live peaceably

“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18).
 
Followers of Christ are under a mandate to maintain a peaceable relationship with all of the people around them, both Christians and non-Christians. Paul reinforces that mandate in this verse.
 
Such a direct mandate might be confusing if it were not for the two qualifiers that precede it. The first qualifier is that it must be within the realm of possibility. It is not always possible to live peaceably when truth is under fire—that is, when God’s will is violated or when we are commanded to perform some act that is in violation of God’s will.
 
The second qualifier, “as much as depends on you,” really means “do as much as you can to be at peace with others.” So, a lack of peace cannot be because we are just causing trouble or because we can’t control our temper. Unless hindered by one or both of these qualifiers, then, we are commanded to live in peace with others.