There are many words of greeting in our culture, like "hello," "hi," "hey," "howdy," "what's up," etc. Most of these are mere acknowledgements of someone's presence, and except in rare cases when said with warmth and feeling, do not convey much.

The word Shalom is different. There is deep meaning associated with this word. We mostly limit the word Shalom to mean peace, but there is much more.

The word Shalom means completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. So when you say "Shalom" to somebody, it is more than just a greeting. It gets below the surface of a casual "Hi!" or "Hey!"

When we take the time to sincerely ask about the welfare of a person and listen to them, we find that everyone is in some stretching situation that is causing stress in their life. Many times we can do little to relieve the suffering of others, but it just might be that we can if we ask. Maybe it's just an encouraging word; maybe it's a small task we can do or a need we can meet with little sacrifice on our part. We communicate how much we care by the way we ask.

Shalom draws you to God, because only God has the power to truly fulfill the depth of the word Shalom. When we say it, when we hear it, there should be an immediate link to God, and a prayer asking God to truly bring Shalom to the person we are talking to.

When God called His people Israel out of slavery in Egypt, He instructed the priests who were appointed by God to bless the people of Israel with these words: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace [Shalom]" (Numbers 6:24-26).

"The tongue has the power of life and death" (Proverbs 18:21). Words have the power to change the course of one's life. All of us have the power to pronounce blessing or cursing by the simple use of our tongue.

Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, and He promises us peace. In John 14:27 He says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

The peace of Jesus is with us if we believe in Him. We can live life knowing that He has pronounced Shalom over us, and we have the power in Jesus Christ to pronounce Shalom over others.

So, Shalom! May you be complete, perfect, and full by the power of the grace of God in your life.