More than you can Handle

Oftentimes well-meaning but misguided Christians will say to you in times of difficulty "God will not give you more than you can handle." or "God gives His toughest battles to His strongest warriors." They intend to be comforting to you and sometimes it can be, but it is also biblically inaccurate. These phrases build or play on an inflatuated sense of self, instead of a dependence on God and His provision. What we should say is God will never give us more than HE can handle. Or If God brought you to it, He'll bring you through it. Thereby, giving the source of our strength and provision the credit He is due.

We humans, we fail and falter. We make bad decisions and do stupid things. We break and fall to pieces under the weight of our circumstances, but God is strong and steady, unwavering in His compassion for His children.

In every difficult situation and every evil act that affects humanity, God has a plan to restore us in His mercy. He will raise someone up or raise us up and use them to fulfill His purpose. We often read about the heroes of the Bible and their stories, but we forget that they had to overcome adversity before achieving greatness.

Heroes are often born from challenging circumstances because we serve a good God. The Bible clearly demonstrates this from the beginning, with the stories of Noah and Moses serving as good examples. However, Jesus is the greatest hero of all. He loved in the face of hatred, healed disease and deformity, and brought life to conquer death. Our good God always triumphs, and our hope should be in Him, not in ourselves.

This past week at church, I heard a good analogy that goes along with this concept. It is not how the Pastor presented it at the time, but it is the same idea of being held versus holding on.

When we say God will never give us more than we can handle, we can think of it as us holding onto God, doing everything in our strength and by our will. This takes effort and requires striving. Imagine it as that picture of the 2 hands clasping, we are reaching up and holding on with all our might so we don't fall back down. It is work and leaves us feeling weak, worn, weary, and worried.

But when we say God will never give us more than HE can handle, it's the difference between reaching and grabbing versus being held. Imagine the difference for a minute, see it in your mind. Instead of a hand reaching up to heaven and holding on to God for dear life, imagine the hand of God held out with you resting securely in its palm. Sit for a moment in that image. Which image brought you peace?

Zechariah 4.6 says

6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.

It's not our strength that matters, it's not how tough, or strong we are. It's how submitted we are. How much we trust and can be at peace even when the world around us is going crazy because of His strength and steadfast love, because of His spirit dwelling within each us of.

Solomon said it like this in Proverbs:

Proverbs 18.10

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

And his father David said it like this:

Psalm 18:2

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

And the Apostle Paul said it like this:

Phillippians 4:11-13

11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

I understand that many of us are facing difficult times right now, but we can take heart because we serve the One who has overcome the world. This doesn't mean we won't have trouble, but it does mean that in the midst of trouble, we can rest. Just like Jesus slept on the cushions in the boat during a terrible storm, we too can have peace despite the circumstances that surround us. We don't have to worry because we are held in the hand of our sovereign and loving Father. Challenging circumstances will come and go, but God is eternal and He is preparing us to spend it with Him.

Psalm 73:23-28:

My mind and my body may grow weak, but God is my strength; he is all I ever need.

Isaiah 40:29:

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.