Does God cause illness?

Q: How do we explain to a loved one that God is not the one who makes them sick, bitter or have no joy?

A: It is all in knowing the character of God. The teaching of Jesus that best contrasts the work of God with the work of the devil is John 10:10. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” If the scene of the accident has the fingerprints of death, disease and destruction all over it, you can be sure it is not of God. No where in the Gospels do we see Jesus going about distributing illness. We only see healing disease. No where do we see him oppressing someone with hardship or suffering. We see him tenderly alleviating suffering and bringing encouragement to the downtrodden. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. Study the gospels. There you will see that God is good … all the time!