Pain Is Inevitable… But Suffering Isn’t: A Somatic & Biblical Truth
The other day I watched a short video from Nuno Nino that landed so deeply for me.
He said something simple, but profoundly true:
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering isn’t.”
And it struck me because this is the essence of what we teach in embodied processing.
Pain is part of the human experience, something we can’t avoid, escape, or outrun.
But suffering… that comes from what we do with the pain.
We suffer when we contract.
We suffer when we restrict.
We suffer when we resist, deny, or fight what’s already here.
But when we acknowledge pain as part of being human, when we stop waging war against it, something shifts. The battle ends, our nervous system softens.
And suffering does not follow.
This is the heart of somatic work, all parts are meant, every sensation, emotion, and response is a messenger.
It’s not the parts themselves that harm us, it’s what we do with them.
When we sit in discomfort, when we witness and surrender, something transformative happens.
Pain becomes resilience.
Resilience becomes compassion.
And compassion opens us to Christ’s healing presence.
As a Christian, this mirrors what I’ve spoken about in previous blogs:
When we allow ourselves to truly feel, we begin to witness the work Christ is already doing within us. We begin to notice grace, to experience compassion. To recognise that
His presence has been there the whole time, waiting for us to bring it all to Him.
Sitting With Our “Enemies” Letting Christ Transform Them
I saw a beautiful “aha” reel recently where the lady spoke about this idea of “the enemy.” Some often imagine the enemy as something or someone outside of us.
But she reframed it powerfully.
She named her enemies as:
the parts of herself she was ashamed of,
the parts she didn’t like,
the parts she feared,
the parts she thought were too broken.
Then she connected it to one of the most comforting Scriptures: Psalm 23:5
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
This verse isn’t just about external conflict, it’s an invitation.
A table is set.
Christ is present.
And even the parts we feel are “enemies” the wounded parts, the fearful parts, the rejected parts are allowed to come into His presence.
When we bring these parts to the table, we witness transformation.
Because transformation happens where Christ sits.
A Deeper Truth We Often Miss as Christians
Too often as Christians we see so many people feeling ashamed of their parts,
the weaknesses, the memories, the emotions, the patterns, the pain.
We see people hiding, denying and pretending these parts aren’t there.
Believing that holiness means having no struggle, no emotion, no mess.
But that’s not the Gospel.
And it’s not what Jesus ever asked of us.
Jesus never said “Remove the parts of you that are weak.”
What He said, through Scripture, is the complete opposite.
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” Psalm 55:22
He doesn’t say fix it first, he says bring it.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” Psalm 34:18
Not the polished, perfected, numbed, or spiritually-disguised. The brokenhearted.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
He doesn’t ask us to get rid of the weak parts. Instead he says His power shows up there, his strength rises in the very places we want to hide.
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened…” Matthew 11:28
Not come when you’re better.
Not come when you’ve sorted yourself out.
Just… come.
“Do not fear, for I am with you… I will strengthen you and help you.” Isaiah 41:10
He carries the parts we cannot carry.
He strengthens the parts we feel ashamed of.
He redeems the places we wish didn’t exist.
This is the whole truth, Jesus never asked us to remove the parts.
He bears them.
He transforms them.
He holds what feels too heavy for us.
Shame tells us to hide.
Grace tells us to bring everything into the light.
And this is where your somatic work aligns so beautifully with Scripture.
When we bring our parts into awareness, he meets us.
When we stop resisting and start surrendering, he strengthens us.
When we stop hiding our pain, suffering ends.
When we sit at the table with our “enemies”, he transforms them.
“Sit with your enemies, invite them to the table. They are part of your becoming.”
Because even the parts we think are enemies, the shameful, painful, messy parts are invited into His presence.
Not to be condemned, but to be transformed.
This is the whole Gospel woven into somatic truth:
We don’t overcome by rejecting our humanity.
We overcome by bringing our humanity to Him.
Pain Isn’t Avoidable, but Suffering Is
Pain is part of life, even Jesus experienced pain in His body, heart, and mind.
But suffering is optional.
Suffering comes from resistance:
hiding our humanity
denying our wounds
pretending everything is fine
carrying burdens alone
When we surrender, truly surrender, we create space for His strength.
Space for His grace.
Space for His healing.
Surrender ends suffering.
Presence births transformation.
Christ meets us in the very places we fear to go.
We cannot avoid pain, but we can avoid suffering when we acknowledge, allow, and surrender every part of us into His hands.
Because He has already prepared the table and He is waiting for every part of you to come.
If this resonates with you, let us support you by holding a safe space for you to release, surrender, and let Him in to sit with you at the table. Click here to book a session, or read our other blog, Christ in the Body: Somatic Healing and the Death of the Old Self, to continue exploring His presence and grace.
