If you ever go to Israel, someone may say “Shalom!” to you. This traditional greeting can be used to welcome someone when they come and also to wish someone well as they leave. However, the most direct translation of the word into English is simply – Peace! If only getting peace was as simple as wishing it to someone in a greeting. We are lacking peace today in politics, world affairs, social interactions, community values, family relationships and especially within our own lives. People are searching for peace in all sorts of places, willing to go to great lengths to obtain it, and spending all sorts of money for the promise of taming the storms of life. We are painfully aware of the unrest found within us. Some try to ignore the disharmony, others medicate it, while many simply drown it out by staying occupied or entertained with other things.

In our ongoing quest to find peace, we sometimes too quickly skip over the theme of peace that is found in the gospels. Jesus is known as the “Prince of Peace”. He told many of those with whom He dealt to “Go in peace”. Peace was bestowed upon the households that accepted the disciples and their message. Christ’s coming kingdom is one where peace shall reign. This peace that is described in the gospels goes beyond a dampening of our noisy souls. It is not simply a description of calmness, passivity or serenity. It involves an order and harmony to our lives, a sense that we are complete and whole, a confirmation and complete trust in the Lord that He is working all things together for good.

We recently had a bear get into our trash. It made a terrible mess. Other than the annoyance this caused, it didn’t cause much alarm until one morning my four young girls watched out the window as the bear and her two cubs mauled the neighbor’s trash can. They had a clear and close view of the bear. Her teeth and claws were visible and her power was on display as she tossed around the trash can without even a strain. From that point on, my girls had lost some of their peace. They were concerned that the bear might be out there when they were riding their bikes in the driveway or playing in our yard. At night, they were afraid that they bear might somehow break a window or door to our house and find them in their second story bedroom. We tried to rationalize with them, to calm them, to explain that the bears just wanted the trash, and used other techniques to assuage their fears. Eventually I decided to simply ask them to trust that I was here in the house with them and that they needed to trust my word that I would prevent the bear from getting in the house.

As it turns out, these are the same principles we need to learn about Jesus Christ in our quest for peace. These are twofold – an assurance of His presence and a trust in His Word. At the end of the great commission in Matthew 28:20, Jesus makes these two principles clear. After proclaiming the gospel to all nations, He tells His disciples to be “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” As we understand and trust the Word of God, we come to a firmer belief that God is truly in control of all things. He created everything in perfect order and harmony in the beginning and it is His desire to restore all back to its perfect order in the kingdom to come. The Bible also makes it clear that God is still in control of all things. In light of these simple truths, trusting God’s Word confirms to us that He is the only one who can restore peace to our homes, our country, our society’s culture, and to our inner souls.

The other component here is knowing that Jesus is present with us. He tells us “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” There is comfort in knowing that the one who said to the storm of Galilee, “Peace, be still” can speak those same words into your own life. His presence is the constant assurance that peace is possible only through Him.

So, when you are filled with discord, disharmony, and distress, don’t try to ignore it or distract yourself from the core problem. Peace will not be found in the things of this world. Go back to God’s Word and dig out the promises of peace that you can trust in. Then, draw yourself close to the one who says He will never leave you, the one who will stick closer than a brother to you. Jesus Christ will give you peace for the storms of life as you dwell on His Word and come before His presence. Only then will you truly be able know Shalom! and be equipped to “Go in Peace”.