I was sent an e-mail earlier today with the question of disease. The inquiry was:
"Why are there painful illnesses and how should a Messianic Jew [or Christian] deal with it?"
As a man who suffers from a serious liver disease on top of Type 1 Diabetes, Chronic Pancreatitis and Migraine Headaches I found myself drawn to answer this question on the ministry blog.
As to why God allows us to suffer through various conditions the answer is simple, we did this to ourselves. I am not referring to you per se, instead I am talking about the first man and women, Adam and Eve. It was their sin that brought death into the world. At this time I would like to direct you to a blog article written by a friend of mine named Kasey. Her article explains why we have diseases better then I could. You can find that article at: Lessons from Ivy.
But as to how we should handle our diseases is an answer I can provide. The Epistle of James reads,
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
James 1:2-8 (KJV)
What Ya'akov (James) is saying is that we must each deal with our illnesses in a fashion that brings about patience. It is our patience that brings faith in our lives, a stronger faith in God that He will hear our prayers. Verses 6-8 state that we need to be true to our faith, true to the belief that God will hear our prayers. It is our unwavering and steady faith that gives a public testimony to Yeshua. But this testimony is only valid so long as we remain pure: spiritually, emotionally and physically. As soon as we break out testimony in one area, we break it with all of them.
Now I understand it when those who suffer painful illnesses ask why God chose them to suffer. I know personally how angering it is to hear from a fellow Christian that God does not want us to be ill. That fact of the matter is that we are ill. We just need to remember that having patience and a strong faith as to why God has us dealing with pain will bring about a stronger conection between us and Yeshua.
