God won't give you more than you can handle?

You have heard people say, "God won't give you more than you can handle." It has probably been said to you when you were facing a particularly tough time in your life. Don't be upset when people say it, they're only trying to be helpful. 

Some people like to get a laugh out of it by adding, "I know that God won't give me more than I can handle, I just wish He didn't trust me so much."

Yet, the expression is still a little off. 

I've seen images like this a few times, it's a little closer to being accurate.

I've read several good articles and blog posts on this very subject. So, I want to voice my perspective on this platitude and try not to be too repetitive about what others have already said better than me.

First off, let's explore its origin. Many people will qualify this statement by opening with "You know, the Bible says..." or by saying "Well, it's in the Bible..."

I've learned over the years, that when people say things like this, you should probably check the Bible to see if it's actually there. Then, if it actually is there, you should check the context in which it was written.

It may come as a surprise to you when I tell you that this statement is not in the Bible. At least, not the way it is commonly said or applied. It is taken from a verse in 1 Corinthians that has gone through a bad game of "telephone".

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."

This verse appears in the middle of a passage that is discussing idolatry and the temptation to engage in acts that lead to idolatry. (You can check it out for yourself, since I just told you to verify when someone tells you what's in the Bible.)

It's quite a bit different from "God won't give you more than you can handle.", isn't it? Perhaps it's not far off if someone says it to you when you're facing temptation. But, it doesn't really apply to most of the situations in which you hear it.

I've heard this said to people fighting cancer.

I've heard this said to people who have been the victims of abuse.

It's always said to people who are grieving.

I'm here to tell you friends, in these scenarios and many more, you will face more than you can handle.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Before we get to what you can or can't handle. Let's go back to that first line. "God won't give you..." There is a fundamental problem with the opening of this platitude. You are implying that God has given this affliction to people. You are implying that God gave them cancer...for a reason. (If you've read my earlier blog posts, you already know my disdain for "everything happens for a reason") Furthermore, you are implying that God gives us the horrible situations in our lives. As if God finds pleasure in "giving" us trials and tribulations. You are implying that people who have been abused were abused for some greater purpose. You are implying that God is a jerk.

It is important to understand that God does not "give us" the terrible things that happen in our lives. We live in a natural world, we have free will, others do too. Terrible and unspeakable things can happen to us in this otherwise beautiful world. Unfortunately, shit happens. Oftentimes, there is no "answer" for it.

But, as I've said before. You don't have to agree with me on these theological stances. If it makes you feel better to believe that God is giving you all the crap in your life, please feel free to carry on believing as such.

But, let me tell you about the God I believe in. I believe in the God who gave sight to the blind, not the one who struck them with blindness.* I believe in the God who allowed the crippled to walk, not the one who made them lame for a reason. I believe in the God who raised people to new life, not the God who struck them dead for a greater purpose. I believe in the God who shows up in our weakness, not the God who causes it.

Things will happen to you in this world that will be impossible for you to handle alone. I believe in the God who shows up to help you handle it. I believe in the God who fills you with the Holy Spirit. I believe in the God who fills others with the Holy Spirit and inspires them to surround you with love and support.

If you are going through hard times right now, please know that God is not heaping calamity upon you. Trust in the God who gets us through hard times, not in a god who causes them.

Grace and Peace,

Robert 

*Some of you may point to the story of the blind man in John 9 as an example of how God gave blindness to the man so that God's work could be done. Kudos to you if you remembered that. Unfortunately, the NRSV and NIV translate the story to sound like God gave this man his blindness as though it was all leading up to the day that Jesus would cure him. However, a closer examination of the original Greek and other translations KJV, LB, Message, reveal that the punctuation and translation make a big difference. Instead, it is revealed to be a story of the importance of doing God's work, not asking who is to blame.