Recently I have read several blog posts on the topic of God not giving people more than they can handle. People seem to be currently enraged with this concept. Why is this such a big deal I wondered as I read the blog posts. I have done some reading and this is what I came up with.
The concept of God not giving us more than we can handle is found nowhere in Scripture. In fact we have very well documented cases of God giving or allowing people to be in circumstances where they were given more than they can handle. Surely being cast out of the garden of Eden, separated from God, struggling in work and childbearing and the final consequence of original sin, death, were probably more than Adam and Eve could handle. When the Lord killed David and Bathsheba's son as a punishment for their infidelity, it was more than they could handle. Moses could not speak and was given the task of demanding Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, despite his fear, anxiety, stuttering. Job, lost everything and was tempted and afflicted by Satan, I'm sure that felt like more than he could handle. What about Jesus? Dying on a cross and being separated from God was more than he could handle. Oh and don't forget the disciples, most of them were martyred for their faith...do you see where I am going with this? The Bible is full of accounts of people with struggles. People just like you and I who found themselves in situations that were more than they could handle. Scripture is also records the Lord's faithfulness in EVERY overwhelming situation.
What Scripture does say is that the Christian life is to be a struggle. We are to take up our cross daily and follow Christ. Christ himself tells us that even families will be broken apart by the Gospel. Boy, that sounds a lot worse than they whole "God won't give you more than you can handle" adage. Actually the truth is far more wonderful than even that. The Lord promises to be with us in time of struggle. He promises to carry us through, guide us and protect us. He gives us his Holy Spirit and friendship with his fellowship of believers here on earth. We may be given things that are seemingly too much for us to handle but the good news is that nothing is bigger than what God can handle. If we could figure out everything here on earth, what would we need faith for? What would we need God for? How would God be glorified by a bunch of highly capable people with perfect lives? Furthermore, how much satisfaction and joy could we ourselves take from life if we were perfect and never learned anything new or were never challenged or tested. The hardest things I have encountered have left imprints on my soul. The Lord has used them, to change and grow me into the person he means me to be.
The Lord may or may not give me more than I can handle but this sinful broken world probably will. My sinfulness and disobedience may also land me in a situation that feels like more than I can handle. I will encounter, sickness, death, sorrow, violence, cruelty, hatred and the like, here on earth. God gives us something powerful though in the midst of the struggles here on earth his Spirit and his Son. Neither one of these things take away the broken bits of our lives but they do allow us to walk through our troubles with faith. So instead of thinking, "God will not give me more than I can handle." I prefer to think that there is nothing that God can not handle. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."- 2 Corinthians 12:9 May God display his power and might in the lives of us who call him Father.
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus."-Romans 8:38-39
The concept of God not giving us more than we can handle is found nowhere in Scripture. In fact we have very well documented cases of God giving or allowing people to be in circumstances where they were given more than they can handle. Surely being cast out of the garden of Eden, separated from God, struggling in work and childbearing and the final consequence of original sin, death, were probably more than Adam and Eve could handle. When the Lord killed David and Bathsheba's son as a punishment for their infidelity, it was more than they could handle. Moses could not speak and was given the task of demanding Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, despite his fear, anxiety, stuttering. Job, lost everything and was tempted and afflicted by Satan, I'm sure that felt like more than he could handle. What about Jesus? Dying on a cross and being separated from God was more than he could handle. Oh and don't forget the disciples, most of them were martyred for their faith...do you see where I am going with this? The Bible is full of accounts of people with struggles. People just like you and I who found themselves in situations that were more than they could handle. Scripture is also records the Lord's faithfulness in EVERY overwhelming situation.
What Scripture does say is that the Christian life is to be a struggle. We are to take up our cross daily and follow Christ. Christ himself tells us that even families will be broken apart by the Gospel. Boy, that sounds a lot worse than they whole "God won't give you more than you can handle" adage. Actually the truth is far more wonderful than even that. The Lord promises to be with us in time of struggle. He promises to carry us through, guide us and protect us. He gives us his Holy Spirit and friendship with his fellowship of believers here on earth. We may be given things that are seemingly too much for us to handle but the good news is that nothing is bigger than what God can handle. If we could figure out everything here on earth, what would we need faith for? What would we need God for? How would God be glorified by a bunch of highly capable people with perfect lives? Furthermore, how much satisfaction and joy could we ourselves take from life if we were perfect and never learned anything new or were never challenged or tested. The hardest things I have encountered have left imprints on my soul. The Lord has used them, to change and grow me into the person he means me to be.
The Lord may or may not give me more than I can handle but this sinful broken world probably will. My sinfulness and disobedience may also land me in a situation that feels like more than I can handle. I will encounter, sickness, death, sorrow, violence, cruelty, hatred and the like, here on earth. God gives us something powerful though in the midst of the struggles here on earth his Spirit and his Son. Neither one of these things take away the broken bits of our lives but they do allow us to walk through our troubles with faith. So instead of thinking, "God will not give me more than I can handle." I prefer to think that there is nothing that God can not handle. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."- 2 Corinthians 12:9 May God display his power and might in the lives of us who call him Father.
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus."-Romans 8:38-39
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