The Foundations of Shalom
“My peace is the legacy I leave to you” 14:27 – The Voice Bible.
It’s surprising how many people walk around every day with little to no peace. Peace is absolutely vital to our inner well-being, and the gap we feel internally without it is just as detrimental as not having an adequate diet or nutrition. We were created for peace. We so need peace! Not the kind of world peace the world gives, but the kind of peace that is absolutely heavenly.
A supernatural peace from above that fills our hearts, our minds and even our physical bodies.
This is the peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7) bringing deep rest and resolve. I’m personally convinced a lack of peace is the cause of much of our current first world anxiety disorders.
The world can be an epically traumatic place! As New Creations, we are all learning how to host peace on the inside! True peace comes from only one source – the prince of Peace Isaiah called Him (Isaiah 9:6). He is the peace that fills our hearts and pushes out the trauma and concerns of this life.
“Not as the world gives”(John 14. 27), denotes a very different kind of peace! A peace that is based on intimacy through sonship and not on the things we can see or feel! A peace that is about relationship instead of performance!
We don’t have to earn it or work for it – it is a gift – even on the worst day imaginable.
Peace is the opposite of trauma. I see that there are two internal tanks we tend to operate from; one is the peace tank while the other is the trauma tank. They seem to go up and down based on our experiences. Ask any humanitarian worker or missional person and they will vouch for this.
When Jesus sends us out to do justice, it is always restorative. In other words, not just to bring commentary but to fix the problem. Not just to be a voice but to leave a legacy that is tangible. That legacy by nature is the peace of God.
How can we live on the devil’s doorstep, take ground from the enemy and do all the cool things He says to do without the perfect peace of God? The shalom peace of God is designed to be the foundation of our lives, and all that we are is to flow from that place. Peace, I believe, starts deep inside and is entirely essential to our new way of thinking. It comes from being made right with God and being made whole within. Peace is the by-product of our oneness with Him. As sons and daughters of God we have a right to feel His peace, know His peace and abide in His peace. It is indeed very, very tangible. Ask Him for more of His tangible peace right now.
How can you foster a life of deeper peace that affects your spiritual community?