We’ve all heard or said, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” We say it and receive it as a means of comfort. We want to let the people we love know that they’re strong and that they’ll make it through whatever life throws at them. Likewise, we want to feel the same way.
But what if we challenge this statement? What if we reword it to better reflect faith in Jesus Christ?
This statement as it is, implies a couple of things...
We know Gods plans and have Him and all His reasons for what He does figured out.
What He gives out won’t be harder than what any human strength can manage.
Both of these implications are false. When we give our lives to Christ, we’re invited to know God but we don’t know what it is to be God, no matter how hard we attempt to control our own lives or think we know what’s best for ourselves. Secondly, God most definitely allows us to walk through things that our human strength can NOT manage, because He wants us to depend on Him, not our own humanness to make it through trials and suffering.
So what if we said and heard this instead...
“God won’t give you more than He’s willing to go through with you.”
Rewording the original statement to the one above takes the focus off of our human limitations and shifts it to Gods limitless, unending love for His children.
The Lord will certainly allow you to walk through hardships you never imagined. But it’s not because He’s testing your human strength to see how you handle life by yourself, but rather testing your dependence on and your faith in Him to walk beside you through it - to give you GOD-SIZED strength to endure and overcome - to grow you up in faith and in relationship with Him.
Will you, as you navigate suffering, grief, and hardships, cry out to Him? Or will you try to manage it on your own and eventually succumb to the pain or turn to Him in desperation?
You get to decide, friend.
The next time someone you know is going through something hard and you want to encourage and remind them they’re not left to their own strength tell them, “God won’t give you more than He’s willing to walk through with you.” The next time you’re the one going through something hard, you can remind yourself of this too.
Here are some Bible verses to meditate and pray on...
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10 ESV
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” - Isaiah 43:1-3 NLT
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9 NLT
“He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” - Isaiah 40:29
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:16
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