God Will Give You More Than You Can Handle

Fredrick W. Robertson said these words on suffering. "As the tree is fertilized by its own broken branches and fallen leaves, and grows out of its own decay, so men and nations are bettered and improved by trial, and refined out of broken hopes and blighted expectations."

First and foremost, I would like to go on record to state that this post is not like my previous posts. There has been a lot that has happened in my life. I have begun my steps into my ministry, and I am currently undergoing a one year training process. During this training, I go all across the U.S., and I shadow the ministers that are assigned to each church. I preach, assist in the worship service, visit people, and do essentially whatever the minister would like for me to do in terms of serving the church. In return, they accommodate me in their houses. After this, there is an entrance exam and then an interview (both around August to October 2014), and I will start seminary in India (Mar Thoma Theological Seminary in Kottayam, Kerala) which is a four year Bachelors of Divinity degree. Please do keep me in your prayers, and I appreciate all the prayers that have come my way this far.

That being said, I return back to stating this is not like my previous posts. I want to share something that has been burdening my heart for some time now. As most everyone knows that reads my blog knows, my best friend and brother Patrick passed away on Tuesday, June 4, 2013 from what was the worst day of many people's lives, including mine. During those days, many people said to me and to several of my close friends that grieved the loss of Patrick, "God won't give you more than you can handle." I have seen this phrase being used countless times before this incident and countless times after. I began to think to myself, "Well, that sounds a bit weird. Why wouldn't He give us more than we can handle? Is that even Biblical?" I am here to state that I respectfully disagree with anyone who claims that God does not give us more than we can handle.

Most people tend to refer to the verse in I Corinthians 10:13 where Paul says, "And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." I don't see suffering being mentioned even once in that verse. To be honest, suffering is not even mentioned in that entire chapter. Also, when you look at the context of the chapter, Paul is speaking out against the sins of the Israelites, and how Christian believers are not to fall into the same temptations they were. God does not tempt you, but He allows us to be tempted. James says it well in James 1:13, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." Note that falling into temptation is a choice. Going through suffering is not a choice. In fact, if we are all honest, then none of us really wants to suffer. We would rather live a peaceful, enjoyable life here on this earth. Yet, there are storms that come in our life, and during those storms, Christ is with us.

God does give us more than we can handle in terms of suffering, but that being said, He has promised to be by our side throughout it all, both the good and the bad moments in life, and I can give you thousands of Bible verses to prove that. For example, let's start at the Old Testament. God tells Joshua in Joshua 1:5, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." How about the story of Job? God says to Satan, "There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Yet, Satan requests God to allow him to wreak havoc on Job's life, and God allows Satan to do so. Job goes through hell and back, and he mourns like no one else, and he refused to be comforted. 41 chapters of basically the most depressing, agonizing words that have ever been written in the Bible! The 42nd chapter is of course God restoring and doubling everything that he once had. Can someone really say this wasn't more than Job could handle?

In New Testament, countless examples are given as well. How about Joseph and Mary? Mary was pregnant before marriage. Savior of the world or not, she could have been stoned, or Joseph planned to divorce her. Folks probably gossiped about the both of them. I'm sure they suffered a lot, but none of it is mentioned in the Bible. Jesus Christ Himself suffered more than He could handle, but He did it, so we wouldn't have to take the punishment of sin on ourselves. Paul was given a thorn in his flesh, and he asked Christ three times for it to be taken away from him. Christ responded by saying one of the verses that actually brought comfort to me during this time in my life. He said in II Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul goes on to say something so remarkable, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." When Christ told Peter to walk on the water in Matthew 14, Peter ends up taking his eyes off Jesus, and he sees the storms of life, and he begins sinking. During that time, Christ could have let him drown, or He could have said, "I told you not to doubt," but in verse 31 it says, "Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him." 

You see, there will be things that go on in life that will be more than you can handle, and the pain may seem like it will last forever, but reality is, eternity with Christ awaits us. You may suffer more than you can handle, but God is by your side throughout every storm that comes your away. Whether you are going through a terminal illness, loss of a loved one, natural calamities, multiple public place shootings, or whatever else may be burdening your heart, He tells you that He loves you, and you are His child. What you go through will cause you to lean on Him like never before. What you go through will be used for the glory of God. Trust me, that is something that I have seen. There is beauty in the broken.

As I wrap up, I want to share a song that I always liked. It's a small song. It begins like this, "Holiness, holiness is what I long for. Holiness is what I need. Holiness is what you want from me. So take my heart and mold it. Take my mind, transform it. Take my will, conform it. To Yours, to Yours, Oh Lord." The last verse says, "Brokenness, brokenness is what I long for. Brokenness is what I need. Brokenness is what you want from me." I sang this song several times, and it's a song that I loved, but I realized I didn't know the depth of those words. When you get to a point in your life when you're so broken, then you know, you can only rely on God to reshape the pieces.

One thing I will say, whenever you are with someone that is hurting so much that God seems distant, then take that time to sit with them and pray for them, cry with them, let your presence be with them. In those moments, what they need is not a sermon, what they need is your love and care, so that they may experience God through you.

God will give you more than you can handle, but the God of Angel Armies will always be by your side.

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

-Romans 8:18

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

 -Romans 8:37

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

-Isaiah 41:10