The Great Misunderstanding

There is a pretty popular saying among many Christ circles, even among non-Christian circles and it says, “God won’t give you more than you can handle”. There was a time when I once found comfort in knowing that “God knows my limits, He knows what I can handle, He surely won’t let this (insert whatever horrible thing you can think of) happen, He KNOWS I couldn’t bear it”. I found comfort in that, even though I know it’s not exactly “Bible”. But then tonight, as I pondered that statement, God whispered something to my spirit, that forever changed the way I hear that saying.

 But, The Bible Doesn't Say That

What I mean by, “it’s not exactly Bible” is, it doesn’t say anywhere in the Bible that, “God will not give you more than you can handle”; however, I think the idea of that saying, was born from this verse: 1 Corinthians 10: 13 which says, “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 you a way out so that you can endure it.” He will not what? He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. What that doesn’t say is, “God won’t give you more than you can handle or bear.” What it does say, is, you will not be taken over by temptation because He will provide a way out so that you can endure it. Two very different ideas; one of temptation, another of bearing pain, discomfort, fear, (insert anything else you throw into the “more than you can bear” category).

So, the question stands, will God give us more than we can bear? No, but it’s not because it says that in the Bible. Tonight, as I mopped the floor, and pondered that saying, I felt God whisper to my spirit, “Is there anything you cannot bear Dori?” And with no thought, these few things came to mind:

·      I absolutely cannot bear having to bury a child

·      I absolutely cannot bear losing my husband to death or disease

·      I absolutely cannot bear the news of my children, spouse or self being stricken with an incurable disease

Then I heard Him whisper to my spirit, “you can bear those things, I know you think you can’t, but you can, because (here is the doozy) You, Dori, can do all things, through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13)." So, what I realized is, there is nothing, that I cannot bear (in Christ); so that means that statement is true, God won't give me more than I can bare- but not because the Bible says so, but because He can bear it all, and I can bear all things through Christ who gives me strength. That is both a terrifying and a relieving thought. 

So, whatever you are facing, whatever you think you cannot bear, know that you can, you can bear anything, even the unspeakable, the unimaginable, the worst-case scenario, because you can bear it with Christ, and there is nothing Christ cannot bear, there is nothing He cannot defeat, there is nothing He cannot redeem; He defeated death. 

So, even if, “God will not give you more than you can bear” was a verse- it means that He will still throw anything your way, because in Christ- you can do it. Scripture doesn’t contradict itself, so though, you personally, in and of yourself couldn’t bear something, in Christ you can, therefore all things are fair game.

What else this made me realize is, I put all my security in my family being intact, and what happens if we all fall apart-then I too would fall apart. That means I have some work to do. I need to move my anchor from my family to God-where it is meant to be. Pray for me there, I know it won’t be an easy task, as I always thought it was in Christ, but now I see I put it in the safety and health of my family.