Peace and Pain: Walking with Both
Jesus is both the Prince of Peace and the Suffering Servant.
In the middle of a season filled with loss, transition, and relational strain, I realized something strange: I felt peace. And I felt pain. Both at the same time.
I was sharing a deep trial with a close friend, describing the unusual weight of the suffering. I told him, “I feel the pain, yet I have peace.” His response was simple but profound: “Of course. Peace and pain can coexist.”
The more I thought about it, the more I realized how deeply true that is—because Jesus is both the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53).
Processing the Path of Peace Through Pain
How do you respond to your pain?
Do your thoughts turn toward revenge or restoration?
Do you shut down or open up—to God, to others, to love?
Pain is a revealer. It strips away the veneer we try to live under and exposes our deep humanity. And in that exposure, God often shows us our deep need for Him.
The Blessings Pain Can Bring
Pain can invite God’s comfort.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Sometimes God simply holds us in the hurt.
Pain can lead us to healing.
He may use the trial as a door to freedom, new relationships, or deeper faith.
Pain can produce humility.
This is perhaps the most precious gift—when pain breaks down self-sufficiency and brings us to total dependence on God.
Paul wrote, “We were under great pressure… so that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8–9).
Peace That Holds in the Storm
The peace Jesus offers isn’t the absence of pain—it’s the presence of Himself in the middle of it.
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you… Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
Peace doesn’t erase grief, but it steadies the soul.
It doesn’t deny loss, but it guards the heart with hope.
Reflection Questions