Dr. Tanya Hettler joins us this week, sharing how she found peace in releasing health struggles to God.
My Health Struggle to Release
I have had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) for 30 years and have been having migraines for the past 15 years. Since the migraines started, they tend to occur together. My IBS has gotten much worse in the past three years. I think this is partly due to several ongoing stressful situations in my life.
Despite seeing many doctors over the past several years, my IBS continued getting worse so that I felt sick nearly every day regardless of what I ate. I went to a gastroenterologist who found that I had gallstones. He referred me to a surgeon. The surgeon said that my symptoms did not really match the diagnosis of a gallstone problem but that he was willing to do the surgery to see if it would help. It did not.
A friend then recommended a doctor who used Eastern/natural medicine. He diagnosed me with Dysbiosis which means the bad bacteria in your gut have basically taken over. This is caused by antibiotics killing off the healthy bacteria in your gut.
The natural medicine doctor gave me 6 different supplements and specific instructions on how to take them. He told me to expect to feel worse before I felt better. I definitely felt worse for several weeks. In about three months (which of course seemed like forever) my IBS was much better.
Verses That Help Me Release My Struggle To God
I know there are so many others of you who struggle with similar chronic illnesses. If you are like me you have probably asked God “Why?” many times. It is very difficult to have peace and trust that God knows what He is doing when I am unable to do anything for several hours or for a whole day.
I have four verses that have helped me get through these very trying years. I will include them here from the New International Version of the Bible and briefly explain how they have helped me to release my situation into God’s hands and hopefully can help you as well.
Proverbs 3:7
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” Proverbs 3:7 NIV
I often feel that my time is wasted when I need to lay down. I realize that when I feel that way I am thinking that I know better than God how my life should go.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Jeremiah 29:11 has helped me remember that God has a good plan for me and plans to prosper me and give me a good future. Knowing this doesn’t make it easy to wait on God’s timing but it makes it a little less hard.
Deuteronomy 29:29
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29 NIV
Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us that there are things that God is doing in our lives and in the world that we know nothing about so we should stop trying to figure out what God is doing and instead focus on the things He has revealed to us.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 NIV
Psalm 46:10 helps me to not fret about all of the things that I cannot do and instead to just have peace with God as I listen to sermons and Christian music, pray and meditate on scripture or simply take a nap. Fretting about all of the things I cannot do does not help anything.
Understanding Why We Suffer
In thinking about why God has allowed me to go through this suffering, I think it is partly because I like to be in control. I like to have a plan for my day and I like to be able to check things off of my to-do list. I believe that God has allowed me to go through this suffering so that I will realize that He is in control, not me.
God has a plan for my life that is different from my plan. I have all sorts of things that I want to accomplish – both on a daily basis and in my life overall. But I am working toward being content with His plan for me and realizing that he knows everything and sees the various moving parts and knows the best way to make them all work together.
If you are suffering with illness and are a doer like me God may be trying to teach you to release control of your plans and allow Him to guide you through your struggles like He is teaching me.
Meet Dr. Tanya Hettler
I have a Ph.D. in psychology and worked as a Christian counselor and then as a researcher and writer for a conservative think tank. I have had a blog website called Deep Thoughts with Dr. Tanya for more than 10 years which you can see at www.tanyathedoc.com.
Share Your Story in the Releasing to God Series
We’re currently welcoming guest writers to contribute to our Releasing to God series! If you have a personal story, reflection, or devotional centered on trusting God, surrender, or spiritual growth, we’d love to hear from you.
This series is a space for honest, faith-filled voices to encourage others on their journey of letting go and leaning into God’s plan.
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Let’s release, write, and grow—together.
Hope in the Healing: A 40-Day Journey Through Chronic Illness
Hope in the Healing: A 40-Day Devotional Journey Through Chronic Illness
Find strength for today and hope for tomorrow with this compassionate 40-day devotional designed for those navigating the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges of chronic illness. Hope in the Healing offers gentle encouragement, Scripture-based reflections, and space to connect with God—even on the hardest days.
💛 Start your journey today: https://amzn.to/3TbkaIj
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