Jesus Didn’t Come to ‘Work For’ Us - He Came to ‘Be With’ Us - Dr. Sam Wells - Triangle Theory EP. 52
December 24, 2025
Why God Won’t Fix Your Life | Sam Wells on Faith, Suffering & Presence
What if God was never meant to fix your life?
In this episode, we sit down with Sam Wells to challenge one of the most damaging ideas in modern spirituality: the belief that faith is a reward system.
Sam Wells is an Anglican priest, theologian, broadcaster, and the long-serving Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, a global centre for public theology, justice, and work with homelessness and refugees. He has written over 50 books and is widely known for reshaping how churches think about suffering, mission, and what it actually means to live a faithful life.
His core message is simple, and unsettling:
God is not “for” you. God is with you.
In this conversation, Sam traces how his theology emerged not from abstract belief, but from lived experience: growing up as the child of refugees, walking with people through poverty and exile, witnessing illness and death up close, and seeing how “fixing” mentalities often cause more harm than healing.
We explore:
Why suffering is not punishment
Why doing good deeds doesn’t earn salvation
Why God often feels silent when you’re trying hardest
The difference between working for, working with, and being with
Why chasing spiritual feelings can block real faith
What prayer actually is — beyond asking God to fix things
How faith matures when striving collapses
This episode is especially for:
People who feel spiritually flat despite “doing everything right”
Seekers questioning belief, baptism, or belonging
Anyone exhausted by self-improvement spirituality
Men and women waking up from performance-driven living
📌 Find more about Dr. Sam Wells' work:
https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/people/revd-dr-sam-wells/
📌If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Triangle Theory newsletter for more insights on self-awareness, psychology, and human growth:
https://tr.ee/KM1Gr5S8lG
📌If you enjoyed this episode, you can support us by buying us a coffee! :)
https://tr.ee/maaifQETDl
Timestamps:
00:00 - Sam Wells: A Journey Through Theology and Life
09:54 - The Four Approaches: Being With, For, and Beyond
14:17 - Understanding Suffering: Human Limitation and Malice
20:24 - The Nature of God: Presence in Suffering
30:20 - Living God's Future Now: Beyond Good Deeds
38:27 - Faith Beyond Borders: Inclusivity in Belief
42:26 - Acts of Kindness and Humility
43:07 - Interfaith Dialogue and Coexistence
44:15 - Finding Common Humanity in Conflict
48:08 - Tradition and Truth in Faith
59:13 - The Journey to God and Baptism
01:03:26 - Understanding God's Presence and Trusting the Process
01:11:36 - Prayer and Connection with God
01:16:52 - Healing Relationships and Reconciliation
----------------------------
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Why suffering is not punishment
Why doing good deeds doesn’t earn salvation
Why God often feels silent when you’re trying hardest
The difference between working for, working with, and being with
Why chasing spiritual feelings can block real faith
What prayer actually is — beyond asking God to fix things
How faith matures when striving collapses
This episode is especially for:
People who feel spiritually flat despite “doing everything right”
Seekers questioning belief, baptism, or belonging
Anyone exhausted by self-improvement spirituality
Men and women waking up from performance-driven living
📌 Find more about Dr. Sam Wells' work:
https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/people/revd-dr-sam-wells/
📌If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Triangle Theory newsletter for more insights on self-awareness, psychology, and human growth:
https://tr.ee/KM1Gr5S8lG
📌If you enjoyed this episode, you can support us by buying us a coffee! :)
https://tr.ee/maaifQETDl
Timestamps:
00:00 - Sam Wells: A Journey Through Theology and Life
09:54 - The Four Approaches: Being With, For, and Beyond
14:17 - Understanding Suffering: Human Limitation and Malice
20:24 - The Nature of God: Presence in Suffering
30:20 - Living God's Future Now: Beyond Good Deeds
38:27 - Faith Beyond Borders: Inclusivity in Belief
42:26 - Acts of Kindness and Humility
43:07 - Interfaith Dialogue and Coexistence
44:15 - Finding Common Humanity in Conflict
48:08 - Tradition and Truth in Faith
59:13 - The Journey to God and Baptism
01:03:26 - Understanding God's Presence and Trusting the Process
01:11:36 - Prayer and Connection with God
01:16:52 - Healing Relationships and Reconciliation
----------------------------
You can also support us at:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://3-minute-theory.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triangle.theory_/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@triangle.theory
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/50RW93YVyR3YgEIuNdKIAZ?si=d77d72433a074a34
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/triangle-theory/id1769204627
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TriangleTheorypod
Player FM: https://player.fm/series/triangle-theory
Listen Notes: https://lnns.co/bdxlCwfrYN8
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/triangle-theory-5790906
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triangle-theory-podcast/