What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of your life not mattering? Are you afraid of missing out on the pleasures and prosperity this world has to offer that it seems like everyone else but you is experiencing? Are you afraid of being alone? Does your sense of peace and tranquility often fluctuate based on your circumstances? It sounds like you might need a different version of peace to rule your heart and mind. Jesus knows what type of peace we are really longing for, and He promises us a true version of peace that is the antidote to our fear.

God is glorified as nothing-broken-nothing-missing peace is manifested on earth, but the only way such peace is possible is if humanity chooses to glorify God instead of themselves. This puts the human race in a predicament because our self-glory-seeking hearts are incapable of producing what is required for Shalom. The chaos of sin is what has resulted in our bodies, minds, families, and communities. In fact, creation itself was corrupted. (Romans 8:21-22) The chaos goes DNA deep and every human being is born into a state where they can’t glorify God or produce Shalom in and of themselves. Humanity actually produces the opposite. “No one seeks God…” “Their throats are open graves” bent on death and chaos, and “Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace and have no fear of God at all” (Romans 3:16–18). It doesn’t take a lot to convince us that this is true and that we are pretty far from “peace on earth” in and of ourselves.

Because of Jesus, and what He has done to bring us into God’s forever family, we can confidently seek our heavenly Father’s face and see delight and grace instead of anger and disappointment. For the believer in the gospel of grace, repentance isn’t shameful, but rather joyful. How is that possible? How can humility be a joyful thing for us?

God calls us as His people to seek out Shalom for the sake of our city as well as our own personal flourishing. He commands us to discover and display the nothing-broken-nothing-missing peace of His kingdom in every part of our day-to-day lives here in “exile” on this fallen planet filled with so many hurting and hopeless people. What does that even look like?

Dear friend,
Over the last 5 years, my wife Kimberly and I have been developing this material I will be posting the next 21 days. Below is the intro to the Pray Shalom 21-day journey.

We have put our heart into this and are hoping to publish it in book form this summer to release to the world… so as you interact with the content we would love your honest feedback. Our desire is to provide those seeking the Kingdom of God a resource to strengthen our thinking, quicken our hearts and equip us to be faithful previews through our lives of the City of Peace to come.