What is peace?

Make every effort to live in peace with all men…if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone…let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace…God has called us to live in peace...live in peace with each other…be peaceable…he must seek peace and pursue it.

What is peace? Is peace simply a lack of conflict? Is it striving for harmony and friendship? Is it suppression of anger…refusal to lash out…mutual understanding? I really do not think I have any “enemies” in life but I certainly have people who piss me off. For one reason or another I cannot seem to like them, get along with them, or want anything to do with them. The problem is despite my negative feelings – they aren’t disappearing from my life at a rapid rate. That’s where the issue of peace comes up. Am I conforming to the standard of peace that the apostle Paul calls for in the New Testament? Can you completely not stand a person and still qualify as living at peace with that person? Obviously this blends in with love as well…but I am trying to figure it out. I know I have the tendency to simply justify myself based upon my own standard, so with this I want to know what the right standard is. Is it peaceful and loving to not like someone as long as I don’t go out of my way to cut them down, say disparaging comments about them or be mean to them? What do you do when you just cannot stand people – what is the standard in those situations? Is it right to avoid/ignore people whom you know will eventually tick you off by what they say or do? What if you can't avoid them? Or what if you know you need to get along with them but try as you might you keep hitting roadblocks with that process? I have to admit that I don't have a lot of answers with this issue but I have been contemplating it a lot lately...