Being Christian with RA

Don't ever let others bring you down, or tell you that you are not truely a christian because you are sick.  I firmly believe that God has a plan for each and every person he has given this disease to.  I also believe that he doesn't give us more than we can handle.  That's part of the reason I always say that it seems that God has given this disease to the strong ones.  In my situation I believe that God has given me this disease to let me help others know that they are not alone and that they have others who understand.  You have a great outlook despite how others judge you.  Keep that up.  And while others may sit around judging you or not believing you are ill, you keep sharing and know that you are helping others.  You are doing what God would have you do.  Keep it up!

Hi, I can agree with your comments regarding people's perception of others who are struggling with chronic illnesses and how they like to say that if your faith was strong enough you would not be ill!  Two pastors told me that obviously I am not a "saved" Christian because if I used to pray, the Lord would not allow these things to happen to me!  My response was that the Lord uses people in many different ways, and if this is His way for me to bring people closer to Him, so be it.  I have rheumatoid arthritis, sjogrens syndrome, fibromyalgia, scoliosis and osteopenia and take quite a bit of medication.  Because I do not look sick, which is what I am told, then people sometime think you are faking it.  Who wants to be in pain all the time?  Furthermore, a lot of people have never heard of some of the chronic illnesses I have.

In all things, I see give God thanks.  When I wake up in the morning I thank Him for bringing me to another day and pray that I will have the strength to make it through the day, some days are more difficult than others, but it could be a lot worse.

I pray that your faith will always be steadfast and know that God does not put more on us than we can bear.

Your post inspires and saddens me.  You seem to have a handle on your faith and that God has a purpose and plan for each of us.  I am a pastor's wife and it makes me very sad to hear the comments that have been made to you.  These people obviously do not understand their God and His grace.  There are so many Godly people in scripture who were afflicted in so many different ways and God was glorified through their afflictions.

Never forget that God does not love us for what we do.  He loves us for who we are, His children.

I do not have the official diagnosis of RA, but my doctor suspects that is what I am experiencing.  I am waiting for the results of bloodwork.  I am not a patient person, but I rest in the undeniable fact in Psam 46:10... "Be still and know that I am God."  He has everything under control.  He is God and I am not!!