My most popular post since I started this blog is a post denouncing the myth that “God will not put more on us than we can allow.” It is found by Google search several times daily, indicating people are looking for the phrase in the Bible. I continue to receive challenges to my claim that this phrase is not in Scripture because they have heard it so long they can’t believe it must be there somewhere. So far, however, no one has found that exact phrase in the Bible. Of course, I consistently get pointed to 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” I’m sorry, but I can’t see where that verse says anything about the trials of life, which I believe the myth is referring to. This verse is talking about temptation, and even then the context of the passage deals with Christ’s strength in us, not our own.
You can read the original post HERE.
I realize the intended meaning is that if we rely on God we can handle anything, and I know people most often share it with a desire to comfort others, but the reason I like to challenge this claim is that I continue to encounter people that feel something is wrong with them. They are overwhelmed with life, confused, and desperately trying to figure out why they can’t cope with the stress of life. They have heard that God “will not put more on them than they can handle” and yet their circumstances tell them otherwise. The well-intended message almost becomes an indictment against a person struggling to wade through the storms of life, because they are left wondering why they can’t seem to find the power within them to overcome the emotions of distress.
The fact is, as I’ve said before, this world is messed up, broken and impossible to navigate on our own. God will allow more than we can handle ON OUR OWN, because His greatest desire is that we learn to rely on Him completely. The power we have within us to face life’s trauma is the power of Christ. I have had countless times in my life where life was desperate enough that I finally recognized that apart from the grace of God, I could not handle life. I think that’s what God is looking for from His children and that’s a more comforting message to share with people in distress.
Have you heard this phrase applied in your life? Have you had times you didn’t feel you could handle the stress in your life and wondered what God was doing?
Put your complete trust in God and His strength to see you through this time. With His help, you can face anything…but don’t try to handle life on your own.
You are so right about many people not having control over things that come against them. That's why it's so important for us to be in our prayer closets asking God for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. A while ago, it dawned on me that the Most High God is just that. He is sitting in the highest place, so He's the One that sees everything from His vantage point. Many times, we are at a lost to explain what is happening to people and to our world, but God knows. Our challenge is to start heading to the point where we can hear what He has to tell us and can understand what is going. That takes time and effort because of all the noise that surrounds us.
Thanks for posting provocative thoughts and giving opportunity for discussion. That's how we learn from each other. Let's face it–we're all in this together! : )
Christ's death on the cross destroyed the one who holds the power of destruction, death, and loss (John 10:10, Hebrews 2:14–KJV). God is good and does have anything to do with evil (James 1:13-17). Contrary to popular belief, God does not bring nor does He allow evil to come against us. In fact, through Christ's death and resurrection, God opened the door for us to overcome the force of evil in this world. All we have to do is to walk through that door and ask God for the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom only He can give. Once we do that and once we manifest His absolute love (perfect, complete, and real), watch out world!
Amen. Thank you. God certainly does allow the evil to prevail in this world today. In the fullness of time, He'll end this world's suffering once for all!
Someday (soon I hope,) we (meaning the human race) are going to wake up to the reality that what Christ did on his cross was enough for us to use to completely overcome the force of evil in this world. As we seek God for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, we will find the depth of His absolute love and find our places as His sons, joint heirs with Christ. If we are indeed his joint-heirs, then we will be able to say, as he did in John 16:33, we have overcome the world. Remember, Christ clobbered the kingdom of evil when he died and was resurrected. He did that so we can take our places as the sons of God and so we can see the fulness of God's salvation in this world!
Patricia, I totally agree with what you are saying, in the sense that what Christ did completely gave believers the power to overcome the evil of temptation, but that will never do away with the suffering of such as cancer, natural disasters, etc. Only Christ's return with "wipe every tear from our eyes" (Rev 21) or complete that moment all creation has been groaning for (Romans 8:18-22). We are living in a fallen world, and while we have power (complete power) in Christ to overcome the temptations of evil, the suffering of this world won't end fully until Christ returns. Thanks for always adding such great insight! Love your heart.
Part 1
I think the Bible makes the case that Christ will return when his fellow heirs complete the job of putting his enemies under his feet. We are the ones who are in the midst of the warfare against evil. Sometimes, I get the feeling that some Christians look at the return of Christ almost like God waving a magic wand and voila, everything is changed. The last enemy to be abolished is death (I Cor 15:26)–before we reach that enemy, we have to abolish all other enemies. And, we are the ones that do it because Christ said that whatsoever we bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever we loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matt 18:18). Because of what Christ accomplished on his cross, we are the ones with the power to bind up the forces of evil (Satan and his cohorts) and to loose the forces of good (the Holy Spirit and the angels of the Lord).
Part 2
I know this is a little long, but consider what Daniel 7:21-22 says:
I kept looking, and the horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days (the latter rain, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit–in this chapter Christ is referred to as the Son of Man) came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.
Remember Christ prayed "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." As we exert our authority over the forces of evil, we will begin to take possession of the kingdom of God right here on our earth. And, when we reach that last enemy, death, and destroy it, Christ will return because all of his enemies will be put under his feet.
I enjoy conversing with you, Ron!
Good stuff! Love the dialogue. Of course I deal with so many suffering from things of which they have no control over, such as cancer (that seems to be the big one today.) Thankfully, even in these times we can have peace that surpasses understanding.
This is one of the ways (modern day) ways of taking what God simply says in His Word and trying to twist it, make it our own, etc. In 2 Cor 1:8-10 The Apostle Paul says “things got so deep – so trying that we all wanted to die! But He allowed these things in our lives so we’d learn to trust Him.” Silly us for thinking that we’re different and maybe even better than Paul!
Exactly Bobby. Thanks for sharing!
"Have you had times you didn’t feel you could handle the stress in your life and wondered what God was doing?"
Yeah. Like the last few days. 🙂
I have many times Jason. Praying for you!
I appreciate your address of this myth. I had a church member come to me and ask where this was in the Bible and, when I told her it wasn't there, she looked at me like I was the antichrist. I pointed her to the 1 Corinthians passage and explained that it applied to facing temptation. I then assured her that Philippians 4:13 was all she needed to understand where her strength comes from to deal with the trials and traumas of life. Thanks for the post.
Randy, I'll still have people tell me I'm wrong. It's amazing how tradition over-powers truth sometimes in people's minds…not reality obviously, just perception.