Discover True Shalom in Christ
By NRJohnson
The coffee mug slipped from her hands and shattered across the kitchen floor.
Debbi stared at the brokenness scattered around her feet — a perfect picture of her life: everything was in pieces. She allowed the tears to come. It wasn’t about the mug; it felt like it was everything, all at once. The argument with her husband that morning. The mounting bills on the counter. Her mother’s declining health. The kids’ constant needs. The church commitments she’d said yes to when she should have said no. Her relationship with her best friend which now felt strained and broken.
“I just want peace,” she whispered to the empty kitchen, “Just … peace.”
Have you ever been in Debbi’s shoes, desperately longing for peace? When we think of peace, our minds often drift to a vacation ad — reclining on a beach, lemonade in hand, sun setting over calm waters, not a care in the world. Peace, we assume, is the absence of problems, the removal of stress, the quieting of chaos.
But that’s not biblical peace. That’s escapism.
The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, and its meaning is far richer and deeper than our English word could ever capture. It’s more than the absence of turmoil or conflict; “shalom” encompasses the ideas of wholeness, completeness, soundness, well-being, harmony, prosperity, and security. “It implies a state of mind that is at peace and satisfied, and social relationships characterized by harmony and mutual support.” Similarly, the Greek word for peace is eirēnē, and while it primarily means the absence of war, its key emphasis is a state of rest.
In short, biblical peace is more than removing all conflict from one’s life; rather, it is better understood as being whole, complete, and immovable in Christ Jesus. True peace isn’t found in perfect circumstances, but can be experienced amidst life’s troubles and trials. Perfect peace is ultimately found in a perfect Person.
Jesus is Our Peace
The Apostle Paul, writing to a church divided between Jews and Gentiles — two groups who despised each other — made a stunning declaration: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation” (Eph. 2:14).
Notice Paul doesn’t say Jesus gives peace, though He does. Paul says Jesus is our peace.
This is crucial. Jesus isn’t a cosmic vending machine where we insert our prayers and out pops a peace pill. He’s not a store clerk handing us a product called “peace” so we can take it home and apply it ourselves. Jesus doesn’t merely dispense peace — He embodies it. He is the Prince of Peace
(Isa. 9:6), and in His very nature and person, He is perfect shalom.
Think about what this means practically. When you’re overwhelmed by the demands of life, whether it be school or work, marriage or motherhood, health crises, financial pressures, or broken relationships, you don’t need a feeling — you need Jesus. You don’t need to manufacture calm — you need to run to Christ.
The peace we’re longing for isn’t found in better circumstances, more money, perfect children,
or problem-free days. The peace we need is Jesus Himself.
Three Dimensions of Peace
But how does this work out practically in our daily lives? Biblical peace moves in three directions, like a three-dimensional picture of wholeness:
1. Redemption
(Peace with God)
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Before we can experience any other kind of peace, we must first have peace with God. Through Christ’s death on the Cross, the hostility between us and God has been removed. The wall has been torn down. We are no longer enemies but beloved children. Are you walking in genuine peace with God, or is there something you need to confess and repent of?
2. Reconciliation
(Peace with Others)
Jesus didn’t just make peace between us and God; He restores peace between us and one another. This is the context of Ephesians 2:14 — He broke down the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles, creating “one new man” and thus “making peace.”
Even as Christians, we often carry the weight of relational fractures: the friendship that ended badly, the family member we’re estranged from, the tension in our marriages, the division in our churches. Jesus is in the business of reconciliation (the restoration and harmony of relationships). Where there are walls, He comes to break them down. Where there is hostility, He brings healing.
What relationships in your life do you need to allow Christ to do His redemptive work? Where do you need to offer forgiveness, repent of bitterness, and prayerfully seek God’s wisdom to pursue reconciliation in healthy, God-honoring ways? (See Matthew 5:21–24; 18:12–35.)
3. Rest
(Peace within Ourselves)
This is where many of us struggle most. Our minds race. Our hearts are troubled. We lie awake at 2:00 AM replaying conversations, worrying about tomorrow, rehearsing worst-case scenarios. The enemy loves to keep us fragmented, anxious, and falling to pieces internally.
But listen to what Jesus promised: “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). The peace Jesus gives isn’t dependent on external calm — it’s an internal wholeness that comes from His presence.
God longs to take our fragmented, anxious, broken inner lives and bring such victory that we are no longer characterized by chaos but by the very peace of God Himself. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23).
The Path to Peace
So how do we actually experience this peace — not just theologically but practically, in our everyday, chaotic, mug-shattering lives?
How do we, like Gideon, who was hiding in a wine press to thresh wheat in fear of the Midianites, discover that our God is Jehovah Shalom, “God is peace.” (See Judges 6:23–24.)
Paul gives us an answer in Philippians 4:6–7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Notice the movement: from anxiety to prayer to peace.
The Problem: Anxiety
The word “anxious” in the passage means inner turmoil, worry, unquiet; it is to be divided, split into pieces, distracted. Does that sound familiar? When we’re anxious, we’re literally coming apart. We’re in pieces rather than at peace.
The Solution: Prayer with Thanksgiving
“In everything” — not just the big things, not just the spiritual things, but in everything — we are to bring our requests to God with thanksgiving. Everything in life (the good, the bad, and the ugly) is meant to push us toward Jesus, to deepen our intimacy, relationship, and trust with Him.
This isn’t about manipulating God or demanding that He fix our circumstances. It’s about turning from our anxiety and turning toward our God, trusting that He hears, He cares, and He is able. How would your life change if the very same things that used to produce anxiety, fear, worry, and foreboding in your life now pushed you to Jesus and caused a greater trust, faith, hope, and confidence in Him?
The Result: Guarded by Peace
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).
The word “guard” is a military term that means to post soldiers to keep watch, to secure, and protect. God’s peace acts like a detachment of soldiers standing watch over a city, protecting it from attack.
What is being protected? Our hearts (the center of our emotions, will, and affections) and our minds (our thoughts and reasoning). Together, these represent our entire inner being — the very places most vulnerable to anxiety, fear, doubt, and worry.
Here’s the beautiful promise: when we turn to God in prayer and thanksgiving, His peace (which is Himself) guards our inner lives. This peace surpasses all understanding — it’s more effective than any human planning, superior to any scheme for security we could devise, and it produces better results than all our anxious reasoning combined. Jesus wants to be the sentinel of our souls. He Himself is our peace!
Peace in the Storm
It’s important to note that God doesn’t always calm the storm. Sometimes He gives us peace in the storm.
Remember when Jesus and the disciples were in the boat and a fierce storm arose? The disciples panicked while Jesus slept peacefully. In terror, they woke Him and He spoke to the wind and waves: ”Peace, be still!” (Mark 4:39). Immediately, there was a great calm.
But here’s what we often miss: Jesus Himself had peace before He calmed the storm. He was asleep on a pillow in the middle of chaos. That peace is available to us — not necessarily the removal of life’s storms (as great as it is when that happens), but the presence of the Prince of Peace in the midst of the fiercest storm and difficulty.
As the old hymn declares, “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’”
The hymn-writer, Horatio Spafford, wrote those words after losing most of his wealth in the Great Chicago Fire and when his four daughters drowned in the sinking of the SS Ville du Havre on its voyage across the Atlantic. He had peace not because his circumstances were good, but because his God was present.
The Presence of Peace
What would it look like for you to be full of peace everywhere you went? In your home? In your workplace? In your church? In your friendships? What if, instead of adding to the anxiety and drama around us, we became islands of tranquility in oceans of turmoil — not because we’re naturally calm, but because Christ is our peace?
We are not merely called to experience the peace of God, we’re called to carry that peace to others. Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace …”
Paul echoes this when he tells us to put on the shoes of the gospel of peace. (See Ephesians 6:15.) We’re called to walk through life proclaiming peace — the gospel of shalom — because we are indwelt by the presence (Holy Spirit) of the One who is peace itself, Jesus Christ.
From Pieces to Peace
Back in that kitchen, as Debbi knelt among the broken pieces of her coffee mug, she sensed the Holy Spirit whispering to her heart: ”You’re trying to hold everything together in your own strength. Let Me be your peace.”
She began to freshly pray, trust, abide, and depend upon Christ Jesus. It wasn’t eloquent, but it was honest and tearful. She thanked God for being with her even in the chaos. She brought her requests before Him: her marriage, her finances, her mother, her children, her friendships. And as she prayed, something shifted. The circumstances hadn’t changed, but something inside her settled.
Peace — true shalom — began to guard her heart and mind.
That’s the invitation for each of us today. We don’t have to live in pieces. We can walk in peace.
Dive Deeper
Questions for Reflection:
In what areas of your life are you currently “in pieces” rather than at peace? What specific anxieties are fragmenting your soul?
How does understanding that Jesus is your peace (not just someone who gives you peace) change the way you approach Him in your struggles?
Looking at Philippians 4:6–7, what would it look like practically for you to turn from anxiety to prayer with thanksgiving this week? What specific requests do you need to bring before God?
Suggested Action Steps:
Identify your anxieties: write down the top three things causing you anxiety right now. Be specific and honest.
Turn them into prayers: for each anxiety, write out a prayer that includes both your request and thanksgiving. Thank God for who He is, what He’s already done, and declare your trust (faith) in Him amidst that turmoil.
Post a reminder: write out Philippians 4:4–9 and place it somewhere you’ll see it daily (e.g., mirror, refrigerator, car dashboard). Consider memorizing the passage. When anxiety rises, let it prompt and push you toward Jesus.
Practice His presence: throughout your day, cultivate awareness that Jesus — your peace — is with you. In the chaos of carpools, in the stress of work, in the tension of relationships, in the everyday moments of life, declare, “Jesus, You are my peace, hope, and life. Thank You for being everything I need for life and godliness. Thank You for Your presence. I freshly put my trust and faith in You.”
This article was originally published in Issue 49.
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