Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace (shalom), and work to maintain it.
As was discussed yesterday, the English word peace in the Bible is translated from the Hebrew word Shalom. We think of peace as the absence of conflict or of being free from fear, anxiety, etc. The concept of shalom certainly includes those ideas and then some. Shalom, as the Hebrew language intends it, is peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility. It’s making full restitution or restoration, making good on a wrong. To make something or someone whole once again. An overall sense of fullness or completeness. Shalom has similarities to the word flourishing. According to Google dictionary, the definition of flourish is “growing or developing in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment.”
As you can see, when shalom is looked at in the depth of its meaning, God is giving us so much more than an end of warfare or violence, although we hope and strive for those as well. Shalom is the essence of who God is and He very much wants to share shalom to the world around us through… well, us.
So what does that look like? As we go about our daily lives, let’s look for opportunities to provide kindness to those around us. A helping hand when we see a need. Search for shalom (the chance to better someone’s situation) as Psalm 34:14 reminds us to do. Care about and do something to change the injustices people experience in your neighborhood. Injustices of loneliness, poverty, addictions, illness, anxiety, anger, hate, etc. You can pour shalom into someone today by simply being kind to them whether at home, at work, in traffic or at the grocery store. In every opportunity you take to share the love of God, you allow shalom to pour out into our world.
