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When You Don’t Feel Well
Basilea Schlink
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0:00 4:35
Basilea Schlink

When You Don’t Feel Well

Basilea Schlink · 4:35

Basilea Schlink teaches that embracing our suffering with faith and thanksgiving transforms our burdens into sources of hope and spiritual growth.
In this devotional sermon, Basilea Schlink encourages believers to find strength and hope in the midst of illness and weakness by embracing their suffering as a loving gift from God. She shares personal testimony and biblical truth, particularly from Romans 5, to show how suffering produces endurance, character, and hope. Listeners are invited to pray for the grace to accept their burdens and to cultivate a heart of thanksgiving, transforming pain into spiritual growth and joy.

Full Transcript

God lives and works today, but perhaps it is hard for you to believe this because you are sick, wondering why God would let you suffer this way. Or perhaps you feel so run down and tired that you don't know what to do or think. If either of these is the case, the following message by Basilea Schlink may have just the help you've been looking for.

How often we hear our colleagues at work or our acquaintances say, I feel so sick I can't go on any longer. Or we ourselves have said this when we didn't feel well and could barely stand on our feet. At such times we don't enjoy anything, not even our work or favorite pastime.

What can help us in such situations? Listen today to some good news. It works better and lasts longer than the best pep medicine for a tired body. Yes, there is help for your situation.

I've experienced it myself. Therefore, it's not a theory or an idealistic thought. No, it is reality and truth.

When we lovingly embrace this cross, this burden of not feeling well, the cross loses its sting. What does this look like in practice? When I felt sick and weak, I prayed, Lord Jesus, I want my cross. It comes from your hands.

And if you do not wish to take it from me, I will accept it. You have given it to me in your love. There is great power in such a prayer, as I've experienced time and again.

Suddenly the cross of our not feeling well can no longer weigh us down. Indeed, through this prayer, I was able to master my cross and could be comforted and happy, even though outwardly nothing had changed. In Romans 5 verse 3, the Apostle Paul said in view of his own troubles and sufferings, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us. The Apostle Paul had not only embraced his affliction, his cross, but he also boasted of it. He gave thanks for it, and that robbed suffering of its power.

What can help us, therefore, when we don't feel well? It's really quite simple. First, let us embrace our cross lovingly with the words, Yes, Father. Then it will no longer be so heavy.

Second, let us begin to give thanks for what our affliction will bring us, as the Apostle Paul did. Start keeping a little Thanksgiving notebook, in which you write down the blessings and gifts of God that your cross brings and has brought you. This was a help for me.

I'll sing of God's will in sadness, of how obeying brings gladness. When we do his will, all sorrow is stilled. I praise thy ruling and guiding, the way thou chosest to lead me, in paths through the night, with blessings were bright.

You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet.

If you do not have access to the web, please contact this radio station for our postal address. God bless you.

Sermon Outline

  1. I. The Reality of Suffering
    • Many experience physical and emotional weakness
    • Suffering can make life feel joyless
    • Acknowledging the difficulty is the first step
  2. II. Embracing the Cross
    • Accept suffering as a gift from God
    • Pray to receive the cross lovingly
    • This acceptance diminishes the burden
  3. III. The Power of Thanksgiving
    • Give thanks for what suffering produces
    • Keep a gratitude journal to recognize blessings
    • Thanksgiving robs suffering of its power
  4. IV. The Hope Found in God’s Love
    • Suffering produces endurance, character, and hope
    • God’s love is poured into our hearts through the Spirit
    • Hope does not disappoint because of God’s faithfulness

Key Quotes

“When we lovingly embrace this cross, this burden of not feeling well, the cross loses its sting.” — Basilea Schlink
“Suddenly the cross of our not feeling well can no longer weigh us down.” — Basilea Schlink
“Start keeping a little Thanksgiving notebook, in which you write down the blessings and gifts of God that your cross brings and has brought you.” — Basilea Schlink

Application Points

  • Pray daily to accept your suffering as a gift from God’s hands.
  • Keep a gratitude journal to recognize and thank God for the blessings in your trials.
  • Remember that suffering produces hope and character through God’s love and the Holy Spirit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does God allow us to suffer or feel unwell?
God allows suffering to produce endurance, character, and hope in us, drawing us closer to Him and strengthening our faith.
How can I find comfort when I feel sick or weak?
By praying to accept your cross lovingly and giving thanks for the spiritual growth it brings, you can find peace and joy even in suffering.
What practical steps can I take to embrace my suffering?
Pray to receive your burden from God’s hands, and keep a thanksgiving journal to record the blessings that come through your trials.
Does embracing suffering mean I should not seek healing?
Embracing suffering spiritually does not negate seeking healing; it means trusting God’s will and finding strength regardless of circumstances.
How does hope help in times of illness or hardship?
Hope, rooted in God’s love and the Holy Spirit, sustains us and assures us that suffering is temporary and purposeful.

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