There is a good comforting phrase, “God never gives you more than you can handle” who loved me and found peace with him, many times.
But back then I attended an amazing conference for religious women, the IF Gathering, and I was given a completely different perspective.
One of the strong speakers took that phrase and turned it over in his head. “No,” he said, “God always it gives you more than you can handle. And that is for trusting in Him.”
That thought stopped me in my tracks. Many times when I’m struggling, or feeling lost, or stumbling in my faith, I lean on that quote. I trusted its promise. Those words were a comfort that I was not alone, that my God whom I loved and trusted would heal me. He had my back, and through Him I could get through anything.
Some of this still holds true. But words are key with him. With him, I can get through anything. But that doesn’t mean what I’m going through will be easy. And it doesn’t mean it’s something I can handle alone.
What the woman said at the conference was that God gives us more than we can handle so that we can turn to Him. This speaks to the many difficult things we face in life that seem to have no answers—death, loss, rape, violence, divorce, addiction—perhaps, in a strange way, God brings us through these things when we rely on His grace. Through Him, I can get through anything. But that doesn’t mean what I’m going through will be easy.
Now this is the hard part, and the part that all Christians still struggle with: Why? Why does God allow us to go through these bad things? The death of a child, being a rape victim, being disabled, watching someone lose their battle to drugs. I have no answers. Unfortunately none of us do.
But there is one thing that I can take comfort in—even when God brings us these challenges, these challenges that are too big for one person to handle, He promises that we will not face them alone.
He gives us more than we can handle, but so do we trust him. This is the foundation of our faith. When push comes to shove, will we really trust Him?
He gives us the opportunity to surrender our lives to Him, again and again, in every setback, every challenge, every time we are backed up by a wall and feel faithless and purposeless.
He loves us when we are broken and opens His arms to us when we are weak. He gives us more than we can handle to show us that we need Him. Because we do they need Him. Even though God brings us to these challenges, these challenges that are too big for one person to handle, He promises that we will not face them alone.
Why would God who loves us put us through so much trouble? I really don’t think he’s putting us through these things as a temptation, or because he’s mean and cruel. Pain is part of life, but through him, we can overcome pain. Even with great pain.
And that’s where we’re left with a new quote: God it does I have given you more than you can handle, and this is it good.
When you feel like you’re in over your head, when you’re lost, when you feel broken beyond repair, just know that this is the time to change. You have the opportunity to give your life to God, to allow him to bless you, encourage you, and pull you from this pain to freedom on the other side.
You can’t do it alone. But the good news is, you’re not. Always.
