The Rise of the Unseen Battle, When Pain Isn’t Visible

We all lived through a global pandemic. But for many, the struggle didn’t start in 2020—and it certainly didn’t end there. Some of us have been carrying invisible illnesses for years. Others found themselves unwell for the first time in a post-pandemic world.

Either way, we’re living in a time where more and more people are quietly fighting battles the world doesn’t see.

It’s not loud.
It’s not trending.
But it’s very, very real.

A quiet wave of chronic and invisible illnesses, along with all other illnesses are rising, especially among young adults.
We’re talking about:

• ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
• Long COVID
• Fibromyalgia
• POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
• Autoimmune disorders
• Neurological fatigue
• Chronic migraines
• Pain with no diagnosis

For some, these conditions started after COVID. For others, they’ve lingered for years, misdiagnosed or misunderstood. Either way, this is real. And it’s exhausting.

What You Carry That No One Sees

You may look “fine.”
But your body feels like it’s stuck in shutdown mode.

You might smile. Show up. Try your best.
But behind the scenes, every task feels like a mountain.

And here’s the hard reality:

We live in a world that celebrates hustle but often dismisses pain that isn’t visible.

If you don’t have a cast, a crutch, or a doctor’s note…
People question.
Minimise.
Or worse, ignore it altogether.

But here’s the truth:
God sees what others aren’t able to see.
He’s not waiting for you to “push through.” He’s there, already with you in the middle of it.

Why Would God Allow This?

It’s one of the oldest and most honest questions we ask and has echoed through centuries, whispered in hospital rooms and cried into pillows:

“If God is good… if He’s powerful… if He loves me… why am I still suffering?”

And the truth is we may not always get the full answer but you’re not wrong for asking. Even biblical heroes wrestled with the same questions.

And Scripture doesn’t shy away from suffering.
It doesn’t give us fake optimism. It gives us a God who enters the pain with us.

Here’s what we know:

• He counts every tear, feels every ache, and carries what feels too heavy to hold
• God doesn’t cause illness (James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above”)
• Jesus experienced physical and emotional pain (Isaiah 53:3)
• God promises to walk with us through the fire, not just after it (Isaiah 43:2)

Even Paul Had a Battle He Couldn’t Win Physically

In one of his letters, Paul talks about a long-term struggle. He calls it a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).
We’re never told what it was, but many believe it was a chronic condition.

Some scholars suggest vision problems, migraines, seizures, depression, anxiety. Whatever it was, it deeply affected him and he begged God to take it away.

Three times.

And God said:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul never got the healing he asked for.
But he did receive strength to keep going.
And sometimes, that’s the bigger miracle.

This Is the Faith That Holds On Anyway

This isn’t the “everything’s going to be fine by Friday” kind of faith.
It’s not surface-level positivity or pretending to be okay.

It’s the kind of faith that says:

• “I still believe You’re good.”
• “I still trust You’re with me.”
• “Even if I don’t get better, I won’t walk away.”

That’s real faith.
The kind that doesn’t always get the miracle—but gets God’s presence anyway.

What If You’re Not Broken, You’re Just Built Differently?

You weren’t created for hustle culture.
You weren’t meant to push through at the cost of your soul.

What if your limitations aren’t punishments… but invitations?

To:

• Slow down
• Let go
• Let God be strong when you can’t be

Maybe this isn’t the end of your story. Maybe it’s the start of a different one, one that runs on grace instead of adrenaline.

A Note to the Wandering Ones

Maybe you’re tired, not just in your body, but in your spirit.
Maybe church felt like too much. Maybe prayer felt pointless. Maybe you’re just surviving.

But God hasn’t gone anywhere.

You don’t need to perform.
You don’t need to “get better first.”
You just need to come honestly.

Because the Jesus who healed the blind also sat with the broken.
The God who created the stars still cares about your sleep cycle.
The Spirit who moved mountains can also carry you when you can’t move.

You’re Not Alone in This.

Here at Finding Faith, we see you.
We honour your pain.
And we believe that healing can look like hope, honesty, and holding on.

If you’re living with any kind of illness, we want you to know:

• You’re not invisible.
• You’re not too much.
• And you’re not forgotten.

There’s grace for your story, right here.