Today's topic is one that I'm sure you've heard many times in your life. When you or someone you know is going through a really difficult time, people often say, "God doesn't give you more than you can handle," as a way to encourage someone that they will make it through and that they are stronger than they think.
And I mean, it's got to be true, right? God is love and we're His children so why would He give us more than we could handle? Obviously if something is happening in our lives then we have the resources to deal with it if we just dig deep enough...?
When this phrase is used it's probably coming from the idea of 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."
In this verse, "temptation" refers to sin. The Greek word can also mean trials and suffering but we know that it means sin in this case because the context is warning about sin. So, the promise is that you won't be tempted beyond what you can bear and there will always be a way out.
But when it comes to trials and suffering? Scripture teaches that there very well may be circumstances in your life that are too difficult for you to handle. Listen to Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10: "We do not want you to uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us..."
Did you catch that? Why would God allow us to go through such difficult things? So that we will learn to rely on Him, remember His power and deepen our faith in His ability to save us. When we go through heartbreaking, crushing, overwhelming or devastating circumstances, we have the opportunity to reframe our understanding of God's power at work in our lives, to realize the places in our lives that need to be surrendered and to allow His plan to truly work for good in our lives without us trying to control every outcome.
Later in the same letter, Paul tells the church in Corinth about a "thorn in his flesh" that he begged God to remove. Something unnamed was "tormenting" him. God's response was tough to swallow but incredibly powerful: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (12:9a)
And Paul's response is a model for us..."Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (12:9b-10)
While I don't look forward to hard times in my life, I would rather have Christ's strength than mine; I would rather rely on the One who raises the dead than myself.
So, it's not so much that God doesn't give you more than you can handle, it's that:
You will never be tempted beyond what you can endure;
He will never give you more than He can handle, and;
His grace will always be sufficient in every circumstance.
Are you having trouble seeing the sufficiency of His grace in your situation? Give us a shout. We'd love to hear what's on your heart, encourage you and pray with you.
Next week... "Bad things happen to good people."
Looking forward to it!
Pastor Tracy
