Does God Give Us More Than We Can Handle?
I’m sure you have heard the phrase before from many well-intentioned Christians who say, “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.”
Even though I’m positive that they mean well, it isn’t exactly correct because God DOES give us more than we can handle.
Where Does This Misconception Come From?
There are a few places where the misconception of “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle,” could come from. The main place though is in 1 Corinthians 10:13.
1 Corinthians 10:13 – 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 a way out so that you can endure it.
Paul was speaking to Corinth about their sexual immorality and their drunkenness rather than tragic circumstances, the hardships we may face, or loss, pain, and suffering.
In fact, it is not written in the Bible that God will not give us more than we can handle. So what does that mean for us? How do we endure these trials and sufferings?
The Truth About Trials and Suffering
The truth is, that God never said he wouldn’t give us more than we can handle. In fact, the Bible basically promises us as Christians that we will suffer especially when it comes to sharing the Gospel.
We will run into many situations that we truly do not have the power to handle our pain. There will be times where we may suffer a lot to the point where we just want to give up. The best thing we can do is find out what the Bible says about facing the unknown.
Times in the Bible Where God Gives More Than Someone Can Handle
There are numerous times throughout the Bible where we see God giving someone way more than they can truly handle. Here are just a few examples.
- Moses feared going back to Egypt to help set his people free. He knew he didn’t have the right words to say to Pharaoh.
- The disciples who were in the boat during the big storm and knew that they were going to drown.
- Job lost everything and everyone in his life. He felt pain that most of us couldn’t even begin to fathom.
- Paul was given a thorn in his flesh. He asked God to take it away because he couldn’t handle it.
- Even Jesus had a hard time going through with his own crucifixion and asked for God to take the cup away from him.
Current Trials of Today
With the novel coronavirus shaking up our world and everything that we know, it has put many of us into a panic. I myself have felt some fear and have had moments of minor panic.
This virus could significantly disrupt our comforts even more than it already has.
- Our freedom and ease to travel.
- The ability to go to public places.
- Even simply getting together to worship every week.
We are completely entering into the unknown. Not only that, but we have already seen significant disruption to our economy and many businesses are suffering.
I’m nervous about our own real estate investments. Even if the real estate market doesn’t get hit very hard what if one of the markets of our tenants does? What if our tenants lose their job and are no longer able to pay rent? This is why we have cash reserves on hand. Sometimes it is best to hope for the best but really prepare for the worst.
So as Christians how do we respond when the unexpected happens?
Do we respond with panic?
Should we just shrug it off?
What Do We Do When We Are Given More Than We Can Handle?
So yes, God does give us more than we can handle, however, with his help we can actually be conquerors of our situations.
Romans 8:36-37 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
But what do we, as Christians, do when we are given more than we can handle? The good news is that there is hope! Our hope is in Jesus Christ, and we are given the Holy Spirit which will give us the strength, power, and courage to get through any situation we cannot handle.
When God Gives Us More Than We Can Handle
When we cannot handle our pain and suffering on our own we must rely on God to carry us through. Here are some steps to take when God gives you more than you can handle.
1 ) Pray
The most important and the very first step in getting through any trial is to pray. Just as it says in, Phillippians 4:6, we must pray about everything instead of worrying.
We need to lift up all of our fears, anxieties, worries, and even doubts that we have to God. I will be the first to say that I don’t always do this. But the times when I do I can tell that it makes all the difference. So go ahead and express yourself to God.
Related: How to Pray For Your Finances
2 ) Acknowledge that you do not have control
When God gives us more than we can handle, we need to acknowledge that we do not have control in the situation. The results are not up to us. This should give us a bit of relaxation – that no matter what we do, God’s will will be done.
However, I know that for myself, and many out there, knowing we are not in control is scary. We tend to try to control things on our own and we fall prey to letting our own productivity become an idol. We like to know what will happen. But we need to take a deep breath and let go of any expectations we may have.
3 ) Recognize that God is in control
The sheer fact that God is in control of all situations should give us some peace of mind. Because God’s plans are always irrefutably good. With that understanding, we can rest in the truth that he is in control even when we can’t comprehend his plans. We can rest in God’s love knowing that he is in control of the things we fear.
The Bible says for us to not fear. So we should work to overcome our fears and anxieties by trusting in the Lord’s guidance.
4 ) Know that you are not alone
If we look back to the verse in 1 Corinthians 10:13 we can see that the temptations we will face are all common to man. Our trials are not new. They may be a new experience for ourselves, however, there have been many others who have faced fears and trials like our own.
When you are facing such temptations as fear and anxiety, sometimes the best thing to do is join together with other believers. We can gain strength from each other as we share encouragement and love.
5 ) Learn from your trials
Every trail comes with its own unique lesson. Take note of what God is teaching you through your current and past trials. Not only will it prepare you for the next trial that is sure to come in life, but it will also help strengthen your trust in God.
Taking the time to look back at your past trials should shed light on where God was at work. Here are questions to reflect on.
- Where did you see God’s promises fulfilled?
- Where was God’s work most evident?
- What was your response to God’s promises during your trial?
6 ) Share your hope in Christ
The other great thing about learning from your own trials is being able to go share what you have learned with others who may be struggling. Even if you are currently within a trial, you can share the hope of Christ.
There is nothing like defeating the devil’s plans than by sharing the hope you have in Christ. So reach out to those around you and offer a helping hand. Call a friend just to catch up. Spread the hope we have in Christ.
The most important thing to remember when going through a trial is that we must still rise up and proclaim the goodness of God. There are still so many things to praise God for in every trial.
We choose to hope!
If you know the story of Job, who was tested over and over and lost everything, he never stopped proclaiming that God was good. The devil didn’t understand this because he thought that Job would lose faith in God when he lost everything here on earth.
The devil would love for us to doubt God and to turn our backs on him. But that is the last thing we should be doing. The trials in our lives will be hard, there is no doubt in that, but if we work just as hard to cling to God then our faith will be strengthened. Don’t let your fears affect your faith.
Pray. Choose hope. And offer hope to others.
Encouraging Verses For When God Gives You More Than You Can Handle
1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
2 Chronicles 20:9 If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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.
More Resources
If you are interested in learning more about the misconception that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle you can read more here and listen to a sermon on it.
Read what other Christians are saying about the Coronavirus in these articles.
Are you feeling stressed and afraid? Are you questioning where God is when you are afraid? We recommend using scripture memorization to help with anxiety. Here are some Bible verses that will help you fight fear as well as others on fear and anxiety. Learn more about how to trust God.
If you are looking for further support, check out this Bible study group that will be talking about trusting God in the storms of life. Or feel free to connect with me through our Contact Page.
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What an encouraging post! Many times, God has given me more than I can handle. You are so right that God is with us and strengthens our faith during the suffering.
Hey Susan! Thanks for stopping by. I’m so glad you found this post encouraging.