Sometimes we hear untruths repeated so many times that we begin to believe that they are true. It can happen in our own lives when someone continually tells us we are stupid or lazy or worthless. If we hear it often enough we begin to accept it as truth.
It also happens in the Christian community. Some false statements get repeated so often that people begin believing that they are actually Biblical truth. One of these faulty statements is “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”
We hear it all the time. Cute little posters proclaim it on Facebook and well-meaning friends remind us of us of it when we are struggling. We assume it must be in the Bible somewhere, since everybody acts like it is. But, the truth is, it just plain isn’t there.
Sometimes people reference 1 Corinthians 10:13 as its source, but that verse is talking about temptation and sin. In that passage Paul points out that when we are tempted we can either succumb or run away from the temptation. He also assures us that God will always provide a way for us to leave temptation behind. It may be a hard choice, but there will always be a choice. We will never be left with sinning as our only option.
Although it’s comforting to know that there will always be a way out of temptation, that’s not the same thing as God never giving us more than we can handle.
The truth is, God consistently allows situations and challenges to come into our lives that we are unequipped to deal with on our own. He wants us to learn to trust him to provide and direct. If were capable of handling everything that came our way without any help, it’s unlikely that we would even turn to him, let alone develop that unshakeable trust.
The Apostle Paul understood this. In 2 Corinthians 1:9 he talked about being “under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself . . . 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 . . .”
Later, in chapter 12, Paul relates how God told him “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” He goes on to actually express gratitude for his own human weaknesses, and the struggles and persecution he encountered, because these were the places where Christ’s power was most evident.
We are only truly strong and capable in partnership with God. In every sense of the word God, himself, is the one that completes us!
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