The Meaning of ‘Shalom’ - Salt 106.5

The Meaning of ‘Shalom’

'Shalom’ indicates not just a lack of strife and turmoil, but a completeness, a wholeness, a unity with and connection to God.

By Salt 106.5 Network Thursday 18 Jul 2024Christian LivingReading Time: 2 minutes

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 (NKJV)
Key points
  • If you think of the word ‘peace’, what comes to mind?
  • ‘Shalom’ indicates not just a lack of strife and turmoil, but a completeness, a wholeness, a unity with and connection to God.
  • Listen to the Peace series and others on Real Hope | The Podcast.

If you think of the word ‘peace’, what comes to mind?

For some it would be a beautiful sunset, others a day without stress, or time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee while the kids play quietly.

But peace is more than that. The Hebrew word for peace is ‘shalom’. It indicates not just a lack of strife and turmoil, but a completeness, a wholeness, a unity with and connection to God.

Peace becomes a state of mind, an attitude of the heart, something we are, as well as something we strive for.

‘Shalom’ indicates not just a lack of strife and turmoil, but a completeness, a wholeness, a unity with and connection to God.

The angels appeared to the shepherds, praising God and declaring ‘peace on earth’. Peace through Christ who had come. Peace that would come to us when we gave glory to God. Here is a call to the fullness, the wholeness of who we are in Christ.

He calls to us to experience and be part of the peace He has left. His gift to us, just as He gave us the Holy Spirit, is one of whose fruits is peace.

We should seek the peace of God first, to the depths of our hearts and our minds, then turn to seek and make peace with others, bringing about an end to division, making unity happen, loving our neighbours. It isn’t an easy task. There will always be conflict.

But we can seek the peace He has offered us by lifting our praise to Him, by giving Him the glory that is His and His alone.

Listen to this episode in the player above.


Peace Hope 103.2 Real Hope SeriesPeace is a seven-week series. Peace can be defined as – freedom from disturbance, worry or annoyance; tranquility; calm. We all have seasons of life where achieving this feels impossible, but luckily for us we have Jesus the Prince of Peace walking with us! Read along with this series of devotionals on Peace and learn about how you too can gain a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Subscribe to the YouVersion plan or listen to Real Hope | The Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.


Feature image: Photo by CanvaPro

Episode supplied with thanks to Chris Parfoot.

Originally published as ‘Peace I Give You’ in Real Hope, May-June 2024.