December 19
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creation that he had done.
–Genesis 2:2-3
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for peace is shalom. The most basic meaning of shalom is complete or whole. Shalom refers to something that is complex, with lots of pieces, that is in a state of completeness. Peace refers to an absence of conflict and all things being as God created them to be. A great example of this is when God created the world. The Bible says in Genesis 1:1,"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." And in verse 25b, "And God saw that it was good."
As a videographer, I’m constantly taking on new projects, and I keep a list in my phone's notes app to keep track of what I need to get done. As I finish each project, it gets crossed off the list, and eventually, after all are complete and each client/employer is satisfied, I can finally feel a sense of peace or “shalom.” This sense of peace doesn’t last long before more projects build up; however, I feel at peace after completing everything on my list. I’m sure many of you can relate after having a stressful week and finally feeling a sense of completeness, as you reflect back on what you were able to accomplish throughout the week.
This is the state that God intended us to live in, a state of wholeness, completion, shalom.
–Genesis 2:2-3
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for peace is shalom. The most basic meaning of shalom is complete or whole. Shalom refers to something that is complex, with lots of pieces, that is in a state of completeness. Peace refers to an absence of conflict and all things being as God created them to be. A great example of this is when God created the world. The Bible says in Genesis 1:1,"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." And in verse 25b, "And God saw that it was good."
As a videographer, I’m constantly taking on new projects, and I keep a list in my phone's notes app to keep track of what I need to get done. As I finish each project, it gets crossed off the list, and eventually, after all are complete and each client/employer is satisfied, I can finally feel a sense of peace or “shalom.” This sense of peace doesn’t last long before more projects build up; however, I feel at peace after completing everything on my list. I’m sure many of you can relate after having a stressful week and finally feeling a sense of completeness, as you reflect back on what you were able to accomplish throughout the week.
This is the state that God intended us to live in, a state of wholeness, completion, shalom.
Shalom indicates not only absence of conflict but the presence of something better
Shalom indicates not only absence of conflict, but the presence of something better. The reason Adam and Eve experienced shalom was not just because there was no conflict in Eden — they fully experienced the presence of God, as they were made in His image, and He walked among them in the cool of the garden.
Even when we are experiencing an absence of conflict or stress in our lives, we can still not feel at peace. Often, we are internally conflicted. That’s because we fail to replace the conflict, sadness, stress or brokenness with something better… with God. The one whom our souls were created for.
Typically, the first thing I do when feeling sad or stressed is try to temporarily take my mind off of things by doing other activities, like playing golf, skating or flying my drone. Doing these things work great to make me feel better in the short term; however, when I return, my
problems are still there.
What things do you allow to fill your soul that ultimately do not lead to shalom? Allow God to take His proper place, and in doing so, you will be like all things were before Genesis 3 — shalom, whole, at peace, complete.
Even when we are experiencing an absence of conflict or stress in our lives, we can still not feel at peace. Often, we are internally conflicted. That’s because we fail to replace the conflict, sadness, stress or brokenness with something better… with God. The one whom our souls were created for.
Typically, the first thing I do when feeling sad or stressed is try to temporarily take my mind off of things by doing other activities, like playing golf, skating or flying my drone. Doing these things work great to make me feel better in the short term; however, when I return, my
problems are still there.
What things do you allow to fill your soul that ultimately do not lead to shalom? Allow God to take His proper place, and in doing so, you will be like all things were before Genesis 3 — shalom, whole, at peace, complete.
Peace // Something Better | Austin Michels
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