Here's some good stuff from
our friend Kevin Vannorsdel. Check it out.
-Dan
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“More Than We Can Handle”
Recently I was in a
discussion where someone mentioned that “God wouldn't give us more than we
can handle”. It seems like this idea surfaces every now and then and
often I am unsure exactly how to respond. I thought given the recent
events here in Colorado, it would be good to examine the idea just briefly.
The use (or mis-use) of
certain Bible verses in today’s culture is one of my favorite topics [1]. It
turns out that the notion that God won’t give us more than we can handle falls
squarely into this category. The Bible simply doesn't make this
claim.
So where does the idea come
from? I am actually not sure, the closest verse that I can find
is in 1 Corinthians [2]:
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken
you except what is common to mankind. 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 endure it.
Of course it is plain to
see that here Paul is talking about temptation specifically
and not “hard times” in general.
So what does the Bible say
about protection from suffering? Unfortunately in my view, not
much! In fact it seems that suffering is a very integral part of
life as a Christian. All of us in the ultimate sense, will
eventually die from something that is greater than “we can bear” [3]. Take a
look at the book of Job, consider the life of Jesus himself, have a look at the
lives of those in the early church (Acts). Suffering seems to
be an integral part of the Christian experience. I’m not exactly
happy about it but I am not defeated by it either.
Numerous passages discuss
how we are to be “Joyful” in the face of sufferings. These passages
at first glance can be extremely hard to stomach and may seem nearly impossible
to make real in our lives. Perhaps someday I can share with you some
about my journey through these concepts. Suffice it to say that
there are some VERY real reasons that we indeed can be joyful when suffering
comes our way [4].
One of my favorite passages
in this regard is 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. I've written a bit
about this previously here: http://flatironsmen.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-desert-song_26.html . I
noticed that Trent has referenced some of these passages in his blog posts as
well.
The bottom line is
this: God never promised to protect us from suffering in this
life. In fact, just the opposite seems to be true [5]. We
certainly all will experience hard times that are “more than we can
handle”. God does ask us to depend upon him during these
times. He promises to ride with us through them, to help us
learn from them, and to use them in our lives for good. Frankly,
I wish things were different, but I’ve decided that God knows more about this
than I do. I hope you have too!
-Kevin
[1] See “The Most Misused Verses in the
Bible” by Eric Bargerhuff for some interesting reading on the topic.
[2] Jim actually referenced this verse last
weekend in his sermon. Of course he used it properly!
[3] Unless Jesus returns first!
[4] Some of these reasons are not so obvious but
are indeed satisfying.
[5] I highly recommend a book by RC Sproul
entitled “Surprised by Suffering”.
