I must admit, occasionally I doom-scroll; I reckon most of us do. I was doom-scrolling a couple of days ago, and Reels pushed a Bible lesson to me. I get a lot of those, and I don't trust them. This one commented on the word Shalom and left me asking questions.
What does shalom really mean?
I dug a little deeper into the meaning of the word. I found words such as complete, wholeness, and mental steadiness specifically from Isaiah 26:3, the very Book that carries the clearest promise of perfect peace that we celebrate this time of year. "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you" (Isaiah 26:3, ESV). Have you ever craved perfect peace?
Do you feel peaceful this time of year?
This time of year breeds much talk of peace, and as one would expect during Christmas, it was the topic of today's sermon. This lesson in Isaiah 7 is the promise of a Savior who will bring us that perfect peace we crave. Do you feel peaceful this time of year? Some of us do not. Maybe you don't feel so peaceful even if there is supposed to be "Peace on Earth." How many times have you heard someone say they hate the holidays or Christmas just isn't the same? I think about the mother who sat sobbing over her lost son; how can she ever find peace again, regardless of the season?
Why is peace so hard to find?
There are many reasons someone might not like Christmas. Maybe you lost someone, or maybe Christmas was violent for you as a child. Maybe it still is. So, you just want to hide and bury your head. Do you dread the grocery store because you will have to listen to Christmas music? Maybe you just don't want to be anywhere, maybe even church, where that celebration wears you out.
Delnora, a Christian who sings inspirational country music, has a song on Spotify. The name of the song is Christmas Spirit, I Miss You. She laments the sadness, remembering that there was a time when Christmas did mean peace.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/track/5vZkzGZVxWQ6V6UeM5pD2R
There may be a thousand different reasons you don't feel peace: the loss of a loved one, storms raging in your life as you struggle to stay housed and fed. Maybe you are hurting over family conflict and lost relationships, when there is nothing you can do to make it better.
Sometimes you feel helpless, and your only role is to pray and carry that feeling that there is no peace for you. Still, it was promised. How do you find it? There is hope, there is a way.
Maybe you are a follower of Jesus and can't make sense of it. Maybe you are an atheist, and if you are still reading, then you, too, are desperate for wholeness, completeness, perfect prosperity (not material), peace.
Where do you find it?
You can get better, maybe even heal. You can learn to let go of the pain, keep the memory, and reframe it to something tolerable, hopeful, and peaceful.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Family Systems, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are a few of the tools I use. The one I believe is most important, though some choose to live without it, is faith in a Savior's love. That love can bring you hope, healing, and peace.
There is a peace that the world doesn't understand, and it is offered freely for all who will accept it. Please, don't mistake an offer for pressure. You get to decide how deep we dive and how far we go looking for the peace you desperately need.
You are tired of the hopeless restlessness that makes you hide in the dark. It's time to make some changes, to find that unexplained peace others talk about.
I am Vickie, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Maryville, TN, and I help people from Knoxville and the surrounding communities find the peace they desperately need. I can help you. Click the link at the top of the page and schedule a time to talk.
Clinical Content Disclaimer
All clinical content on this website is written or reviewed by Vickie Starkey, LMFT, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Tennessee since 2005 (License #579). Vickie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Carson-Newman College (1989) and a Master of Divinity in Psychology and Counseling from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (1995), and is a Certified Master ART Practitioner since 2023. This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. Verify my license here: https://internet.health.tn.gov/Licensure/
Crisis Resource
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.