I’m reading a book by Pete Wilson called, “Plan B.” The subtitle says “What do you do when God doesn’t show up the way you thought He would?”
If your life isn’t going the way you thought it would (or should), I encourage you to read this book. It is awesome.
Anyway, in this book Pete says that we Christians often use the phrase “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.” I’m pretty sure I’ve used it. And I bet most of you have either said it or had it said to you. Pete says that this phrase is not Biblically correct. This surprised me and my friends. So we asked our Prayer Warrior Sisters to help us find in the Bible where it says that God will not give us more than we can handle. Someone found 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says:
“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 stand up under it.”
To me temptation is a whole lot different than a heavy burden. Temptation is taking another drink when you know you’ve already had too much. Temptation is wanting to spend too much time with someone of the opposite sex who isn’t your spouse. Temptation is wanting another piece of chocolate cake when you’re already so full you have to undo the button on your jeans.
A burden, however, is totally different. A burden is getting a diagnosis of cancer. A burden is when a loved one dies. A burden is when a marriage falls apart.
Since I couldn’t find any other places in the Bible that says that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle, I was in agreement of Pete Wilson that this statement isn’t Biblical. But then I did some research. The transliteration of temptation in this verse is the Greek word, peiramos which means the following:
Short Definition: trial, testing, temptation
Definition: trial, probation, testing, being tried; (b) temptation; (c) calamity, affliction
So, it looks to me that if you take the transliteration of the original Greek word for temptation, this verse is, indeed saying that God will not give us more than we can handle.
As I’ve been thinking about this verse all week, I was reminded of all the times that people are truly brought to the breaking point. The times when people really do have more than they can bear ~ a parent whose child is given the diagnosis of a fatal disease; a family that’s on vacation and there’s a horrible accident and all but one family member dies. Aren’t these things that are way more than anyone can bear? What about those families that just seem to have one horrible tragedy after another following them? I think that’s more than any human should have to bear.
I’ve also been thinking of all the people in the Bible who had incredibly horrible things happen to them.
Let’s start with Job. Poor Job was moving through life, minding his own business and being faithful to God. Then up pops Satan who asks God to let him test Job. And God says “yes.” Personally, I think God is really mean here but I’ll save that for another blog. This is what happens to Job:
* all his livestock were either stolen or caught on fire by a flame from the sky
* all his servants were killed
* all his children and his oldest brother were killed when a mighty wind came up and blew their house down on top of them (these first three things all happened within minutes of each other)
*he got painful sores all over his body. They were so bad that he took a piece of broken pottery and scraped his skin
*all his friends sat around telling poor Job that all the things that were happening to him were his own fault
*his wife was nagging the snot out of him and also telling him it was his own fault
Seriously, the nagging wife alone is enough to bring anyone to the breaking point. Call me crazy but I think all these things that God allowed to happen to Job were way more than Job could bear.
In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 we’re told that Paul had to endure all of these burdens:
* he was imprisoned many times
* flogged repeatedly
* was close to death more than once
* three times he received 40 lashes minus one (I guess that one less was a big deal)
* three times he was beaten with rods
* he was stoned
* he was shipwrecked three times
* he spent 24 hours lost at sea
* he was constantly on the move and running for his life
* he was in danger from floods, bandits and from everyone he knew in every place he went
* he went without sleep, food, water and clothing
Again, I think these are things that are way more than anyone can bear.
We cannot talk about having a bigger burden than is bearable without talking about Jesus. He carried the biggest burden of them all. And He knew it. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested, He said to Peter, James and John, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” Matthew 26:38.
He had such a burden that He was to the point of death!! Verse 39 says: “Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.’”
Verse 42 says: “He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.’”
In verse 44 it says: “So He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.”
Jesus’ burden was so heavy that He asked God three times to take it from Him. He knew that the burden He had to carry was so heavy that He could not carry it. It was more than He could bear. God had given Jesus more than He could handle.
So why does God give us more than we can handle? Why does He let us get to the breaking point? I think it’s because those are the moments that we realize that we need God more than ever. Those are the times when we lean on God like never before. I haven’t done a survey but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the vast majority of Christians came to Christ because of a tragic or difficult time in our lives. And it was probably a time when we were at the end of our rope and couldn’t take it any longer. A time when we were at the breaking point and had more than we could bear. It certainly happened that way for me. Because if we didn’t get taken to the breaking point, would we really need God at all? For some of us, the answer is probably “no.”
When you think about Job and Paul and Jesus, besides their overwhelming pain, they all have something else in common . . . . they never gave up on God. They all leaned into Him and leaned on Him even when they wanted to give up.
Even in the midst of Job’s horrible pain and sadness, he praises God and gives Him glory by telling Him, “I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2. And then we are told, “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first.” Job 42:12
After Paul had gone through all those horrible, painful things, he said, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9. Paul was actually excited and thankful about his pain and suffering.
And Jesus, even though His soul was sorrowful to the point of death, still gave all the power and faith to God by saying that even if the cup couldn’t be passed from Him, He was willing to accept God’s will, not His own.
I think that sometimes God does give us more than we can bear. But if you look at the second part of 1 Corinthians 10:13 it says, “But when you are tempted (tested, afflicted), He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
I know that this is not always comforting when we’re in the midst of our darkest times. During those times, it’s ok for us to feel sad, confused, hurt, scared and even angry. But the important thing for us to remember is that during those times when we have more than we can bear, the only One who can help us through it is our Heavenly Father. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Somehow, He will carry us through our darkest times and carry our heaviest burdens.
When we turn to God and trust Him, does He always take away our burden? Unfortunately, the answer is "no." The rest of Paul's life was filled with one trial after another. And Jesus still had to endure an incredibly painful death. But miraculously and supernaturally, God provided a way for them to stand up under it. And He'll do the same for you and for me.
So when we are at the end ~ when we can’t take it any longer ~ will we turn to drugs or alcohol or other addictions? Or will we turn to the One who can take away all our pain?
Will we hold onto our hurt and anger and let it grow and fester until it turns into hatred and bitterness? Or will we hold onto our Father’s hand and let Him walk us through our darkness?
When we are so confused and lost that we don’t know where to go or what to do, will we turn away and surround ourselves with people and things that we hope will make us feel better and that we hope will fill our lonliness? Or will we run into the loving and outstretched arms of our Father, Abba, and trust that He will fill our every need?
I know from experience that it’s so very hard to get out of those dark places. But I also know that the only One who can lead us out is God. So, please lean on Him and trust Him to put you back together when you feel like you are breaking. He is there and He wants to make you strong in your weakness. And He has the power to do it.
Remember: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Lord, we know that Your plans are not to harm us but to prosper us and give us hope. But we also know that for whatever reason there are times when we are brought to the breaking point. Times when we are given more than we can bear. Help us, Lord, to trust in You during those times especially. During those times, help us to see You and hear You in ways that we’ve never experienced before. Forgive us for the times that we are so hurt and angry that we turn from You. Please don’t give up on us as we work through our pain. But hold us tightly in Your strong and comforting arms. Even though we may have a hard time seeing You and hearing You in the mist of our sorrow, we know that You are there. Teach us to trust You and to let You lead us through our darkest times. We love You so much, Father. And we know that You love us. Our strength comes from You alone. Thank You for Your strength and love. ~robin
