Parting words have a special significance.  Before Jesus left the upper room, anticipating His arrest and crucifixion, He left a promise of peace.  Although the next few days would be unbelievably turbulent, He wanted their hearts to be at rest and full of contented hope.  The world, flesh and devil would tempt them to be afraid but He wanted them to know that every circumstance was in God’s control.

The word Jesus used, ‘Shalom’, was a common greeting but with great spiritual significance for the Jews.  Jesus would use it on His resurrection day (John 20:19-21) and it was the basis for the familiar benediction (Numbers 6:22-26).  It is a big word, full of relational meaning, expressing - ’May everything good from God come to you, to satisfy your spirit and hold you in His love.’
 
The peace which Jesus gave His disciples was not based on an absence of conflict or uncertainty - there would be much of both in the future.  In such circumstances, the offer of peace would make little natural sense.  But Jesus’ peace is supernatural (Philippians 4:7).  Neither does Jesus’ peace come passively: the disciples had to choose to manage their hearts, by trusting that their Lord would have authority over everything that opposed them.  Peace would come as they obeyed Jesus, trusting Him to protect and provide.  Receiving His peace would be the sign of their relationship with Him.  

Anxiety can be a habit, founded on yesterday’s bad experiences.  Jesus commands us to manage our hearts according to His promises.  Committing everything that disturbs us to Him in prayer we should expect His peace to hold our minds and hearts steady in His love (Philippians 4:6).  We must teach our hearts, from the Scripture and with prayer, that ‘I will trust and not be afraid’ (Isaiah 12:2).  In other words, we have the responsibility to actively believe His promises and refuse to believe lies.  This is not just self-discipline.  As we trust God’s promises in the Bible and depend on Him, so His peace grows inside our hearts – it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives (Galatians 5:22), and real evidence that we do belong to Jesus.  And as you learn to live in relationship with Him, your friends and colleagues will notice too!  They will appreciate you not being stressed out, and may ask you why you are different.