As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Romans 10:15 (NKJV)
In our busy, stress-filled world, peace can seem hard to come by. Our culture has learned to accept worry and anxiety as par for the course. We try to relax, but just when we think we’ve managed to get our minds off it, the stress comes back.
What we really need is more peace.
When you think of the word peace, you might think of it as a state of mind or a feeling. But when you see the word peace in the Bible, 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.
The Bible has a lot to say about this shalom peace. The good news about Jesus is referred to as the gospel of peace. And when Jesus was born in a little stable in Bethlehem, shepherds witnessed heaven’s reaction to his arrival. The sky filled with angels who sang about this peace—this complete wholeness that Jesus had come to restore to you and me.
This peace isn’t as elusive as some think. You can have that deep, shalom sense of complete wholeness without one change in your situation. Why? Because peace is not found through an absence of problems. Peace is found in a person: Jesus.
If you’re feeling stressed this Christmas season, remember that as a believer, Jesus is your source of shalom peace, and he lives in you!