You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
In our busy world, peace can seem hard to come by. Many people try to maintain a sense of calm through deep breathing, exercise and meditation. Although these are all good, the stress rushes back in five minutes after they’ve managed to get their minds off of it.
Some even rely on chemical forms of relaxation, and although chemical imbalances and other physical issues may make this necessary, often it’s only a band-aid approach. The anxiety and stress just return as soon as the meds wear off. Really, what we need is more peace.
When you think of the word peace, a few things may come to mind. You may think of an absence of war or fighting. You might picture peace and quiet. You may associate the word with a sense of things going well in your life or having a lack of problems. The word peace may also refer to a state of mind.
When you see the word peace in the Old Testament, most often it has been translated from the word shalom, which means so much more than our typical definition of peace. According to Strong’s Concordance, shalom refers to complete wholeness. Shalom speaks not only of a state of mind or positive circumstances; it describes a movement toward complete fullness in every area of your life.
Jesus was born and He died to give us complete wholeness in this lifetime—beautiful, wonderful, phenomenal peace. Whatever you are facing in your life this Christmas season, you can have peace and Jesus is the source of that peace. Spend time getting to know Him and discover the peace that He has for you.