Yes, Christians Can Face More Than They Can Handle Alone.
Many Christians will use the claim that God won’t give them more than they can handle when they are going through tough times as a comfort measure.
While this does sound good and can provide a sense of hope, the premise behind the claim isn’t all that it seems.
It is a half-truth of sorts that can only be understood when you delve deeper into the areas of the Bible where people claim to find this promise.
Paul to the Corinthians
One of the passages that is often cited for this claim is 1 Corinthians 10:13:
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
The history behind this passage is fairly interesting. The Corinthians were at a crossroads when this was written. The issue here was that the town was comprised largely of pagans who did whatever they wanted. Drunkenness, and gluttony ran amuck. With these being so close to the Christians in the city, they were tempted by them.
In order to address the temptations that Christians were facing, Paul wrote the above passage. It is easy to focus only on the section that says God won’t let you be tempted beyond what you are able, but many people turn this toward other challenges that aren’t temptations.
They might say that God won’t allow you to have things in your life that you can’t handle, but many things don’t have to do with temptation.
For example, if a close family member passes away, you are going to feel intense sadness. You will likely feel despair. This isn’t temptation. You will make it through the situation, but you will need God’s help.
Another misconception that occurs with this particular passage from Paul to the Corinthians is that God will place temptations in your life just to test you. Paul is not saying that every event in your life, even the negative ones, is happening for a reason. Temptations and hardships aren’t God’s way of trying to make Christians stronger.
The clear message that Paul is sending is clear when you take the entire passage into context. He is saying that temptation is something that is real and that all Christians will face. He is noting that temptation is something that comes from within ourselves.
God is there for any Christian who calls on Him to help, but the key is that Christians must turn to Him. God isn’t going to force His will on his followers.
Message from Matthew
Asking God for help is something that all Christians should get accustomed to. You aren’t going to find God’s help if you try to rely on yourself. In Matthew 7:7-8, the message is clear.
“7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
One issue that some humans have is that they have been taught to be self-sufficient. They view asking for help as a weakness. Unfortunately, that thinking can mean that they pass up the greatest help that they can get. They need to realize that asking their heavenly Father for help isn’t weakness, it is the same thing as asking a human parent for help with some matters.
You should remember that the help that God is going to provide will be the form that is in your best interests. Sometimes, He will provide the intimate comfort that you need to help you find peace in a tragedy.
Other times, He might send someone to help you. Not all of the help God provides is in the physical form, so this means you might not get a check to help you deal with a tragedy. You may have to look a little deeper to find the help you need.
More from Paul
In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he went into an autobiographical segment that helped to teach the church about what they need to do. He specifically touched on one point about trials and suffering that directly contradicts the point that God won’t give you more than you can handle. In verse 8 of the first chapter, Paul says:
“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.”
At this point, he is discussing how he and his fellow missionaries felt despair. “Burdened beyond measure” denotes that he didn’t think that he had the strength to deal with the situations going on. He says that he felt as if he had a death sentence and that he couldn’t rely on himself to get beyond it. Instead, he had to turn to God for help.
If you read on through the remainder of 2 Corinthians, you will find that Paul delves deeper into God’s help. In chapter 12 of this book, Paul notes:
“8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Paul reminds the Corinthians that God’s grace is what is going to carry them through the difficult times. He asked God to remove a “thorn” in his flesh. After three times asking, God gave him the answer.
He wasn’t going to remove that thorn. Instead, God reminded Paul that His grace was all he needed and that God’s power would rest on Paul because of the weakness he had.
Many Christians find this lesson to be a tough one to learn. Human nature wants to avoid things that are uncomfortable or unpleasant. When you are going through something that is difficult, you can turn to God but you might not get the answer that you want. God is looking at the big picture and not only the view that comes from a single human.
God’s grace can give you hope and comfort through these trials. Looking within yourself might not produce the strength that you need when you are going through a serious trial. When you look to God, He can give you His strength. You can rest easy knowing that He is there for you and will take care of you. He can give you the perseverance that you need to continue to move forward through these trials.
Jesus chimes in
In John chapter 33, Jesus chimes in on the matter of tribulations. In verse 33, Jesus says:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
This passage sets a very clear expectation for humans. You will face trials. But, there is much more to this one. Jesus reminds us that you should face the tribulations in your life with a positive attitude because He has overcome the world. No matter what you are going through, God prevails in the end. This fact alone is sometimes enough to help Christians through many difficult times.
Working through the trials
God gives all Christians tools to help them through trials. The armor of God and the privilege of prayer are two of the most important ones. The armor of God helps to strengthen Christians and the power of prayer is the lifeline to God. Together, these can provide confidence to face any situation.
Another promise that can help struggling Christians is found in Romans 8:38-39:
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
There is nothing that can separate Christians from God’s love. No matter what trials or tribulations you are going through, you can count on God’s love to help you get through.
Common Misconceptions About the Bible: