Anybody feeling the need for a little peace of mind right now? In case you’re wondering why you’re a little stressed this week, remember, it’s an election year, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, and a good chunk of the country is now being devastated by wildfires.
We grieve with those who grieve, pray God’s hand over the areas of suffering, and stand in the gap for our communities. But we’re not of much use to anyone if we let the craziness of this world take our eyes off of Jesus. So take a deep breath, loosen your clenched jaw, let a little weight off your shoulders, and let’s talk about “shalom.”
Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace. (You may have also heard it used as a greeting, as people wishing peace on each other!) Shalom literally translates to mean, “Things working the way they should work.”
In our current context, peace seems like the hardest thing to find, unless you’re a believer in Jesus. You see, when we believe on who Jesus is, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God, we have God’s supernatural peace.
That simple statement packs a punch. First, it means that we have peace with God, on a spiritual level. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we are clothed in Jesus’ righteousness instead of our own sin, and that brings us peace with God. Second, it means that we have access to a peace beyond our understanding. We’re talking the kind of peace that allowed Jesus to sleep in the boat during the storm (Matthew 8:25) or face down a legion of demons (Mark 5). He has shared that peace with us.
Are you access the peace that is available to you? It’s already yours, but are you leaning into it?
The peace of God that I’m talking about isn’t a peace that comes from denial or detachment. Neither is it a hyper-spiritual chill mode. The peace of God is a super peace that has become natural. As the people of God, we can acknowledge our circumstances and the very real suffering of the world. We are able to face it with complete calm. That is when we become salt and light to a broken, dying world.
The whole world is freaking out right now. We are a powerful witness when we don’t freak out, when we let the calm of God settle us. Our calm comes from knowing who our God is and that he knows exactly what he’s doing. Jesus talked about this peace in John 14, before he went to suffer on the cross. When speaking to his disciples he said,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:27
Peace is not something that you and I need to grasp or strive for. Jesus has already given us the peace we need to thrive, we simply need to let him do what he does best – transform us from the inside out.
It’s hard when I look out the window and it looks like the end of the world. I’m in the very middle of it in Grants Pass, Or. ….We are the safe haven ..but for how long?