The Jewish word shalom means this kind of peace, both externally and internally. Being at peace means all parts of ourselves are unified, reconciled with each other. The contemporary definition of peace as “Freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility” describes an absence more than a presence.

Health of our body comes not simply from absence (of smoking, disease…), but also from an active presence (of exercise, good food, sleep…). For example, physical stress can relieve mental stress and increase peacefulness. A Feb 2011 Harvard Health Publishing article notes "Aerobic exercise is key for your head, just as it is for your heart….Regular aerobic exercise will bring remarkable changes to your body, your metabolism, your heart, and your spirits. It has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress…..Walking and jogging are prime examples. Even a simple 20-minute stroll can clear the mind and reduce stress."

My lack of peace results in dissatisfaction - with something specific or with life in general. And even when I carefully plan to avoid conflict, it seems to backfire. Some conflict seems like it will go on forever, regardless of what I do. Yes, real peace is hard to come by, and it's impossible to find if seeking it only from worldly sources.

I become dissatisfied when I expect a certain standard of quality, comfort, pleasure or performance that is not being fulfilled. Disappointment is a similar emotion, but it implies I had little or no control. My level of satisfaction, then, is dependent upon two things - my expectations and my subsequent actions (or inaction).

The Psalmist below earnestly desired something from God. Having expectations of God is well and good - God can be counted on to do what He has promised. However, some of His promises are conditional, dependent upon our obedience. And then there are other things which I really want, but have never been promised by God. Sorting out which is which can bring me true peace in a world which has very little.

My compelling desire for peace should not be to avoid all trouble, but rather to align myself with God, Who is my peace. This alignment, at times, will actually cause division in this world because it highlights the great divide that man naturally has with God due to sin. However, this alignment will also provide increasing order (not confusion) and peace in my life as a believer.

A lack of peace today can result in a wide range of problems - from clinical eating/sleeping disorders, depression, substance abuse to simple fatigue, headaches or a wide range of other health issues. It may also signal that I am either separated from God or have distanced myself from God.

This life will always have troubles, so my perspective of them is what is most critical, and having a right perspective is dependent upon believing the truth found in God’s Word. My single biggest help is to turn my focus off myself and onto God and how He teaches me to love others.

A Family Life article by Dennis Rainey lists six key steps to resolve conflict in marriage: 1 - Resolving conflict requires knowing, accepting, and adjusting to your differences.  2 - Resolving conflict requires defeating selfishness. 3 - Resolving conflict requires pursuing the other person. 4 - Resolving conflict requires loving confrontation. 5 - Resolving conflict requires forgiveness. 6 - Resolving conflict requires returning a blessing for an insult.

Striving for peace without God shows that I view myself as a god who can control enough circumstances to satisfy all of my needs and wants. But only the Creator God can reconcile me to Himself, bringing me peace, or oneness, with Him. Only through believing that God keeps His word can we experience how peace is defined above - believing we are safe, whole, healthy and complete.

Jesus provides those who believe in Him with the safety and security of salvation through reconciliation with God - our true Peace. Further peace is then generated through sanctification as I conform more and more to God’s perfect image, culminating in perfect peace only in heaven.

Reconcile my beliefs and life with the foundational truths of the Bible. Bring the current situation to Him and Him to the situation with an intent to reconcile the two. Let all artificial barriers to unity fall in the one body of Christ (i.e. Jew/Gentile, race/gender, denomination, social class or severity of sin, worship style, etc.). Rejoice in this peaceful unity!
Ask: Where in my life do I not see peace?

God of Peace, thank you for reconciling me to You through the righteousness of Jesus. Although this brings me peace with You, I confess that I am often unsettled and dissatisfied with things in this life. Help me to remember that this life is not my ultimate home and to clearly perceive what you have promised on this earth.

The Greek word for peace is “eirene”, which has as its root the word “eiro”, meaning “to join”. Only when we join God and be unified with Him are we truly at peace.

“Chronic worrying can affect your daily life so much that it may interfere with your appetite, lifestyle habits, relationships, sleep, and job performance. Many people who worry excessively are so anxiety-ridden that they seek relief in harmful lifestyle habits such as overeating, cigarette smoking, or using alcohol and drugs….The problem occurs when fight or flight is triggered daily by excessive worrying and anxiety. The fight or flight response causes the body’s sympathetic nervous system to release stress hormones such as cortisol. These hormones can boost blood sugar levels and triglycerides that can be used by the body for fuel. The hormones also cause physical reactions such as difficulty swallowing, dizziness, fast heartbeat, fatigue, headaches, irritability, muscle aches and tension, and much more."" - WebMD

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?"" - Matthew 6:25

Man’s history is one of constant conflict and war. True peace offered by Christ is in vivid contrast to war and begins in my heart.

According to a New York Times article on July 6, 2003, of the past 3,400 years, humans have been entirely at peace for 268 of them, or just 8 percent of recorded history. This is by defining war as an active conflict that has claimed more than 1,000 lives. In reality, the world has never been fully “at peace.” According to Wikipedia’s timeline of just the US government military operations, there has been some type of military conflict nearly every year of its existence. The longest stretch of “peace” is from 1935-1939, an isolationist period initiated by The Good Neighbor Policy, implemented by Franklin Roosevelt. Unfortunately, this period also saw civil war in Spain and a major conflict in Palestine, not to mention the build-up in Japan and Germany toward WWII.

The Pax Romana (Latin for "Roman Peace") was a long period of relative peace and stability experienced by the Roman Empire from 27 BC to AD 180 and covered a third of the world’s population. In Roman history, the "Gates of Janus" were closed in times of peace and opened in times of war. These doors stood open much more often than closed - and this did not consider conflicts in other parts of the world. Even peace-loving Switzerland had a civil war as recently as 1847, called the Sonderbund War.

"Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;" - Isa 48:18

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul." - First verse