Let’s be honest—suffering stinks. It’s messy and gut-wrenching, and it can leave even the most faithful wondering where God went. When the hard seasons hit—and let’s be real, they always do—what happens to our faith? Do we lean in, press pause, or silently scream, “Seriously, God?!”
Lindsey Bell, author of Unbeaten: How Biblical Heroes Rose Above Their Pain, doesn’t shy away from this conversation. She’s walked through her own fire—multiple miscarriages, deep grief, unanswered prayers—and somehow, her faith didn’t just survive. It deepened.
We’re diving into what she’s learned about how to hold on when God feels distant—and spoiler alert—it’s not always pretty, but it’s always powerful.
Faith Isn’t Fragile—It’s Forged in Fire
“I used to think I understood suffering,” Lindsey said. “I knew the right verses to quote. I had neat and tidy answers for why God allows hardship. But then suffering wasn’t just something to study—it became my reality.”
You know the verses. You’ve heard the sermons. But when you’re in it—when the prayers are unanswered and when God feels distant—faith becomes a whole new kind of battle.
Lindsey confessed, “It was easy to say ‘God is good’ when life was good. But when it wasn’t? I had to choose to believe it anyway.”
God Doesn’t Waste Pain
One of the most repeated truths in Lindsey’s story? That our pain may surprise us, but it never surprises God. And it’s never wasted.
“I wouldn’t have chosen to walk through four miscarriages. But those losses opened the door to adopting the baby who became my son,” she shared. “What broke me also led me to one of the greatest blessings in my life.”
That’s what Unbeaten is all about—finding hope in the middle of the mess and discovering how God shows up when God feels distant.
The Choice to Keep Trusting
Lindsey is the first to admit that trusting God wasn’t always her go-to move. “I used to think I had to feel strong to have faith,” she said. “But what I’ve learned is that real faith is choosing to trust God even when I’m falling apart.”
Let that sink in.
We don’t need Instagram-worthy faith. We need honest, gritty, battle-worn faith that says, “God, I don’t get it—but I’m not letting go.”
The Choice to Keep Trusting
Lindsey is the first to admit that trusting God wasn’t always her go-to move. “I used to think I had to feel strong to have faith,” she said. “But what I’ve learned is that real faith is choosing to trust God even when I’m falling apart.”
Let that sink in.
We don’t need Instagram-worthy faith. We need honest, gritty, battle-worn faith that says, “God, I don’t get it—but I’m not letting go.
When God Feels Distant, He’s Closer Than You Think
Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” Lindsey clings to that verse. “I didn’t always feel Him,” she said. “But I see now how He showed up—in the kindness of friends, in tiny answers to prayer, in ways I didn’t recognize at the time.”
If you’re in a hard season, maybe you need to hear this: when God feels distant, it doesn’t mean He’s gone. He is near. Closer than your next breath.
What This Means for You
Here’s the hard truth: suffering will come. But that doesn’t mean your faith has to crumble. It can grow deeper roots, stronger wings, and a louder voice.
“Faith isn’t about never doubting,” Lindsey reminds us. “It’s about continuing to walk forward—even with a limp.”
Unbeaten isn’t a book about perfectly navigating pain. It’s about people—real, flawed, biblical people—who kept showing up, even when life broke them. And it’s about how God met them when He felt so far away.
Suffering Doesn’t Get the Final Say
So what do you do when God feels distant? You keep walking. You keep showing up. You keep believing that God is still good, even when nothing else feels right.
Because suffering doesn’t get the final say.
God does.
And He’s not finished with your story yet.
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