God Won’t Give You More Than You Can Handle... Or Will He?

This phrase is used to comfort and encourage someone when they are going through a difficult time. It tells that person they can do anything and that they can and will make it through the hardship. And it paints a picture of a loving God who has compassion and will take it easy on you. What more encouraging words from the bible than this? Well actually… It’s not in the Bible. It’s actually a twist on words from a verse in 1 Corinthians. And secondly, it’s biblically incorrect. First, take a look at what the verse actually says: 

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 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.
~1 Corinthians 10:13

Basically this verse is saying God will provide a way, in any situation, for you not to sin and to follow Him. So it’s not in the bible, but what makes it biblically incorrect? I want to take a look at what Paul said in his second letter to the Corinthians as my major evidence against the phrase "God won’t give you more than you can handle."

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
~2 Corinthians 1:8-9

Did you see that? "Far beyond our ability to endure." Paul says that there was a point where they could endure the pain and hardships, and that point in time had passed quite a while ago. In fact, they felt like they were going to die. There was nothing they could do to help themselves. God obviously gave them more than they could handle. At that point, they had to rely, not on their selves or their own strength, but they had to rely on God to help them endure. Paul says in verse 9 that’s why God lets us go through these trials and hardships so that we will learn to rely on God and not on ourselves. And this time it was God’s will for them to escape this life-threatening hardship.

The lie that once you become a Christian, then everything magically gets better is a lie Satan tells us that doesn't get refuted enough. In Matthew 11 Jesus invites all who are weary and burdened to come along side of him. Jesus does say his yoke is easy and his burden is light, but there is still a yoke! 

Going back to Paul's life, we see in 2 Corinthians that Paul has this "thorn in his flesh." Scholars continue to debate what this thorn was. Some think it was depression, others say it was epilepsy, others conclude it was bad eyesight, still others say it was some sort of guilt complex. Honestly, no one really knows because it doesn't say. Honestly, it doesn't matter. Paul asked the Lord three times to take the thorn from him. Take a look what Jesus told him and Paul's response.

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. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
~2 Corinthians 12:9-10

God doesn’t always just scoop up everyone out of their trials because he has a purpose for their trials. Also, we wouldn’t learn anything if God gave us everything we wanted. Hebrews 12 says to endure hardship as discipline. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace. Romans 5 says suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope. In Romans 8 Paul says that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. In 2 Corinthians 1 it talks about how sometimes we go through trials so God can comfort us through that situation and later on down the road, we can show that same comfort to someone who is experiencing something we already went through.

God will give you more than you can handle for many purposes. During those times of trials remember we can’t do it by ourselves. We have to rely on God. I share Romans 8:28 a lot with people who are going through difficult times. I think it's important to remember who's in control and that there is a bigger picture that we can't see.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
~ Romans 8:28