Does God Cause Ulcerative Colitis?
November 12, 2009A new video is available, and this one is a little different than most I’ve done. In this video I take a step back to ask about questions of faith as they relate to ulcerative colitis. Specifically, does God cause ulcerative colitis, and if not, why doesn’t He heal us? Also, how does having ulcerative colitis affect one’s life of faith? I don’t have many answers to these questions but certainly they are questions many people ask themselves.
Some interesting discussion is already taking place on the YouTube page, so if you want to check it out double click on this video to go there. Or, comment to this post and start a discussion with others reading this site. Everybody’s views are welcome, just try to be respectful and understand that not everybody is at the same place spiritually.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: How has inflammatory bowel disease affected your relationship with God? Reply to this post!
I’ve become closer to God, just the fact that I got this disease out of nowhere BUT it could always be worse drew me closer to Him. Whenever I doubt something or am worried, I just tell myself not to worry and that God will take care of everything and everything turns out ok.
For example, I failed on the corticosteroids and anti inflammatory drugs, so I needed to decide between biological agents and surgery, but my 2nd colonoscopy would determine which route I would be going. I was really worried but the biopsy results were not as bad as anticipated so I started on Remicade and so far I have been doing better and do not need surgery.
God rocks :~)
I was raised in a Christian home and accepted Christ as a child. I was married and had just had my first child when I was diagnosed with UC in 1994. My relationship with God strengthened and my prayer life became the priority it should have been. We are not promised an easy life. The Bible tells us in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.” People deal with many issues and trials, in this case it is disease. Romans 8:28 “…in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God has brought many blessings to me through this disease. God has a greater purpose, one that we may never see. The inner peace and the way we handle ourselves in our struggle with this disease can be a witness for Him. I do not question God. He is a great God! I am thankful for the four children I was able to have, in spite of this disease. I am very blessed!
I believe that God does heal. Isaiah 53 tells me that Jesus took stripes on his back for my healing. The problem is that we are human and healing is a process. My walk with God has been strengthened by the fact that I live with UC. I know he’s alive because He has saved me twice from death due to this disease. It’s not his fault that I have it – there is a devil in the world that is fighting against those who believe. I know that someday I will be free of UC, but until my faith can get me there, I will continue to do what my doctor says so I can take the best care of my body I can. Thanks Dennis and Nadia for having this site – we all need places to edify each other. I appreciate that you guys do that.
Interesting video! I’m glad to know I’m not the only one asking a lot of these same questions. In response to the issue of whether or not God causes illnesses like UC, I am not able to believe that God would cause illness, pain, suffering, or death. At times I have asked a lot of the same questions that Dennis mentioned in the video above, and some people have suggested that “everything happens for a reason” which seems to imply that God gives some people illnesses for some reason unknown to us. This has been a less than satisfying answer for me. If we are to believe that God is our loving Father and Mother as described at so many points in scripture, then I have to believe that God wants the best for us and would not put us through terrible trials just as a test of our faith. I am unable to believe that God would give anyone UC or would give a child cancer just to teach that person a lesson.
That said, because I don’t believe God causes illness, it is also difficult for me to believe that God is deciding which people to heal and which people not to heal. I know people who have had miraculous healing experiences and attribute their healing to God, and I don’t believe they are wrong. I don’t want to discredit the experiences of people who feel that God has healed them, but at the same time this brings up the question of why God doesn’t heal everyone. Why would God choose to heal one person but choose to let another person die? I have heard many answers to this question and none seem to satisfy. As mentioned above, I believe in a God of unending and infinite love, and I cannot believe that this type of God would pick and choose which people continue to suffer and which people are healed.
I continue to struggle with these questions throughout my struggle with UC. It does feel comforting to me to have members of my church family praying for me as I go through difficult times and medical tests and new medications…but at the same time I question what that prayer really means and why God would answer those prayers with healing but answer prayers for someone else with more suffering and pain. I definitely don’t have it all figured out! But the support of my family of faith and being able to talk openly about these issues is very helpful for me. As one of my favorite writers, Anne Lamott, said, “The opposite of faith is not doubt, it’s certainty.” I think it is healthy for people to think about these questions and doubt some of their preconceived notions about God and faith in the quest to better understand and love God.
I sincerely don’t mean to offend or suggest what other people should believe, and I’m not asking anyone to answer these questions for me; these are just my beliefs and thoughts as I can best express them.