Living at peace with others

Romans 12:18
Matthew 6:14-15

I am not in control of other people. I cannot force anyone to forgive me, to apologize to me, or to be friends with me. I can only control my own actions and my own responses to the choices they make. But what I do have control over, the Lord holds me responsible for. I can't force others to live at peace with me, but I can live at peace with them.
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Forgiveness plays a tremendously large role in good relationships. If I want to live at peace with others, I need to forgive them (for they will hurt me) and I need to make it as easy as possible for them to forgive me (for I will hurt them). Forgiving others means allowing God to mete out the punishment they sometimes deserve. It means allowing second chances. It means working on the relationship when it would be easier for me to simply walk away from it. Making it as easy as possible for them to forgive me means apologizing when I hurt another person, even if my intentions were good. It means accepting blame without explaining myself. It means going out of my way to make amends. It means working on loving the other person in the relationship when it would be easier to simply walk away from it.