God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
The assurance that God will never give me more than I can handle almost made me turn from Him. Many days I’ve felt so desperate that I wanted to give up, and the idea that my circumstances came from God, and that I was expected to be strong enough, was more than I could bear.
First Corinthians 10:13 seemed to confirm that I was both weak and a disappointment to God, but I knew this didn’t align with God’s character, so I studied the verse to find the truth.
So is it true that God doesn’t give you more than you can handle?
Is It True That God Doesn't Give You More Than You Can Handle? Click To Tweet
God Doesn’t Give You More Than You Can Handle… Right?
Yes.
And no.
First Corinthians 10:13 doesn’t say God will not allow suffering. It says He will not allow you to be tempted without a way out. Temptation is an invitation to sin, and we always have a choice.
The truth is that suffering is a natural consequence of sin, both our own and someone else’s. God doesn’t give trials; He uses them to bring us closer to Him.
All good things come from God, and His character never changes. The only way to eliminate sin and trials is to revoke our autonomy, and God loves us too much to turn us into His puppets.
God, thank you for loving us enough to give us a choice to turn from sin and the choice to live by Your word. And thank you for loving us even as we sin. Please help us walk in Your ways. Amen.
Clinging to Jesus
Over the past three and a half years, Heather has only had one day without a migraine. Her prayer has been that God would use the pain for His glory… but that didn’t make it easy.
Being in pain all the time is hard.
Really, being in pain any time is hard.
Whether it’s your head, your back, your joints, or something else, when we feel miserable, we can let that awful feeling consume us. But God doesn’t give us more than we can handle with Him in our hearts.
In Heather’s upcoming book, Clinging to Jesus, she talks about how God can use pain to draw you closer to Him.
Thank you for sharing your Insight. Our God is a good God who has promised to walk the valley with us and will always give us victory ✌️
Amen, Abi! Thank you for encouraging me with your comment.
Sweet encouragement! We were just discussing this in my Bible study group this morning. I don’t think the saying is true. But God gives us the grace we need to get through any trial, struggle, or suffering. 2 Cor 12:9-10 I don’t have the strength or patience to deal with the last 4 years, but by the grace of God I have made it here. It may be splitting hairs, really it’s just how you look at it. God gives us the strength we need when we need it.
Agree with every word, Debra. There’s no way I’d be here without the grace of God to pull me through. Thanks so much for your comments.