More Than We Can Handle

"God won't give you more than you can handle." 

This phrase is often declared with confidence as though taken directly from scripture. It is intended to reassure those going through tough times. But is it true?

The idea comes from First Corinthians 10:13 which says, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 

Did you see anything in there about hard times? About trials? About suffering or persecution? This verse is talking about temptation. God is promising that every temptation we encounter has been faced before. It is not unique to us, even though in the midst of it we feel as though it is. He is promising that as powerful as the temptation to sin may be in the moment, He is more powerful. If we belong to Him, then His Spirit in us can enable us to overcome that temptation and not give in.

He also promises a way of escape from the relentless obsession that temptation can often be. But notice too, that He does not promise to completely removed the temptation. He will not treat us like babies in a playpen, removing any possibility of us getting into mischief. The power He gives us will enable us to endure the temptation without giving in to it, even while it still taunts us.

Many times we have to face more than we can handle. Life is set up that way. If we could handle it all by ourselves, we wouldn't need God. Sorrows, heartaches, trouble, and disease are often more than we can handle. Life threw us a curve ball and we weren't ready. 

"God won't give you more than you can handle" actually does more to incite anger toward God than to bring comfort. Even as it is being said, our hearts want to scream, "Well, this time it IS more than I can handle!" This catchy phrase portrays God as a trickster who keeps adding burdens to our backs just to see how much we can handle. He gleefully adds one more disaster and steps back to see if we will crack. That is not God.

The true God suffers when we do. He walks with us through the valleys, holds our hand, and whispers His encouragement, "Fear not. I am with you." He knows life is more than we can handle, so He does it with us. And because death is more than any of us can handle, He prepares an eternal home for us and provides the way for us to get there.

Rather than repeat this inaccurate phrase, let's say instead: "I know this feels like more than you can handle, but God is with you. He will strengthen you and comfort you and bring you through it. He cares about you. You can trust Him with this."

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A Thorny Topic

Much has been said and written about Paul's "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7). We use the phrase like an idiom to describe every problem that annoys us, from in-laws to athlete's foot. But is that what Paul meant?

To determine whether or not our life issue is truly a thorn in the flesh, we have to look at the verse in context. Paul had just described an amazing time when he was "caught up into the third heaven and heard inexpressible words which a man is not permitted to speak." Jesus had revealed Himself to Paul, taught him spiritual truths, and given him an experience that would change him and the rest of history.

Then Paul writes, "Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-- to keep me from exalting myself!" 

There are several crucial elements about his thorn in the flesh that don't apply to most of our issues. First of all, it was there for a specific reason. He had just encountered God in a way few had and lived to tell about it. Imagine the temptation to pride! Even if you don't want the pride, it will invade your private moments anyway. So God in His mercy granted Paul a weakness that would continually remind him that he was frail flesh, not the fourth person of the Trinity. It was given to him "because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations" and "to keep me from exalting myself."

Secondly, this "thorn" was a messenger from Satan. A messenger carries a message. God allowed Satan to deliver a continuous message to Paul through his own weakness. What message would keep him from exalting himself? His omission of the exact nature of the weakness is intentional. It may have been a physical abnormality, an overwhelming temptation, or inadequacy in a job God had given him. He may have had a speech impediment that made preaching arduous. Or poor eyesight may have made writing difficult. But we do know the message from Satan had to be something like this: "You are so weak. You are one step away from blowing it. No matter what God is doing through you, you know who you are. You are nothing. You struggle just like everybody else. Why would God choose you?"

And as difficult as that message must have been to hear, Paul knew he needed it to stay humble. We all need messages like that when God is doing great things through us. Our flesh longs to exalt itself. But if we truly desire God's best in our lives, we will embrace the "thorn" He gives us.

We are candidates for a "thorn in the flesh" when:

• We have surrendered everything to God and desire to be used by Him for His plans.
• We are filled with the Holy Spirit and choose every day to walk in His Spirit
• God has revealed Himself to us in tangible, earth-shaking ways and we are changed by it
• God has chosen us for a specific purpose to bring others into His kingdom
• God has blessed our ministry and others notice it
• We have a tendency toward pride

When those factors are present, God is merciful to us. He allows similar thorns in our flesh to keep us from exalting ourselves. The same Paul who wrote about his thorn also wrote, "...God chose the foolish things to confound the wise...that no flesh should glory in His presence." (1 Corinthians 1:29) His chief aim was the glory of God, even when struggling under the weight of personal weakness. The comfort God gave him has comforted thousands of others who struggle with thorns: "My grace is sufficient for you."

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