Shalom (like really the Whole Thing)

I like to pick a word for the year for God to reveal something deeper to me about Him. It is like something to discover or look for throughout the year. Last year (2023), I choose abundant life… This year the word Shalom kept coming to my mind.

But Shalom?

What did this word mean? Why was this word coming to my mind over and over again? What would it look like to even look for this word lived out in my life for 2024?

So I did what any person of this century would do. Google it! (and pray of course lol)

Dear Lord, Shalom keeps coming to my mind but I don’t know what this means for me. Would You reveal it to me? In Jesus Name Amen.

I found a blog post by the NIV Bible and one the very first paragraphs took my breath away (in the good way). Shalom meant wholeness, healing, and reconciliation with Christ our Savior. It is whole wholeness. It is complete healing. Perfect peace in Christ. In essence, it is healing in the emotional, physical, and spiritual areas of our lives. As Timothy Keller eloquently put it:

“Shalom experienced is multidimensional, complete well-being — physical, psychological, social, and spiritual; it flows from all of one’s relationships being put right — with God, with(in) oneself, and with others.” (Timothy Keller, The Theological NIV Bible)

I mean wow. I want healing like that.

Dear Lord, I want healing like Shalom. I want to heal physically, psychologically, socially, spiritually. I want to grow closer to You and to begin to realize my need for community. I struggle with reading Your Word, increase my longing to read it. I struggle with isolating myself rather than jumping into community, give me a new strength to find people to be real and raw with as I heal. May I feel comfortable being a mess before you and a group of people as You draw me closer to Shalom. Complete healing in You Oh Lord. Thank You Lord!! Thank You for what You have done to heal me. Thank You for the good work You will not leave undone. In Jesus' name amen.

Dear Lord, um now what? How do I find Shalom?

שָׁלוֹם

“Most fundamentally, shalom means reconciliation with God… Sin disrupts shalom.” (Timothy Keller, The Theological NIV Bible)

Hmmm…. Wrestling with this sentence honestly. Thinking maybe both my sin and the sins of others against me I haven’t forgiven are both stealing my Shalom. Honestly, I have begun the process of forgiveness and already am feeling the difference. Though, admittedly I had to allow myself to feel anger. I had to be ok with the grieving process. I had to be ok with being messy at church and going up to the altar and feeling a bit crazy as memories flashed through my mind, tears sticky- revealing my wounds to You Lord. It showed some of my friends my vulnerability too. But I have great friends who hug me tight and prayed me through some pretty devastating times.

I hate tears, Lord…It feels way too inviting to the deep areas of my soul. It is like my wounds pouring out. The emotions sitting raw on my face. Help me Lord, to trust You enough with the deep pains. Lord, help me trust some friends enough to share the hurt so that I can begin to heal more fully. In Jesus name Amen.

Ah my gosh. How cool. I discovered another book talking about Shalom. Flourish, by Catherine Hart Weber, a P.H.D. describes Shalom like this:

“…Shalom implies that we flourish within all our life systems: body, mind, emotions, spirit, relationships, and work. Shalom also embraces well-being outside of ourselves, with right relationships with God, human beings, and nature. To live and flourish in Shalom is to find delight in living well so that life overflows with fruitfulness, contributing to the well-being of others and our world.”

God’s vision for our life is for us to flourish, and we will do so as we abide in Him! Ooh found this scripture that shows this...

“ I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.” Isaiah 41:18-20

Because we live in a fallen world it is not a wonder “we desperately need the constant flow of the living waters of God” (Flourish). God is the one who paints our life in color, who adds the refreshing redemption twist. God’s word is full of Him bringing Shalom, freedom, and healing to His people. When we begin to flourish and to experience His Shalom it pours out into others.

Dear Lord, May I experience Your great Shalom. The flourishing life. The one where Your Word permeates into my life and overflows into all of my life and out towards others. May I have grace on myself as I heal, experience fluctuating moods, moments when I feel angry, get moody, when I deeply hurt…Hold me in Your arms. Lord, that I would trust You to write Your word on my heart. That flourishing is possible! Lord, May others see You through me. In Jesus’ name amen.

I think I see what Shalom means to me now.

Shalom; reconciliation with God, complete well-being including physical, psychological, relational, and spiritual health. To flourish.

I am going to continue to explore this in different ways. But I think this is good for today.

With joy,

MJ