You can stand because of Him.
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 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.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13
Over time this verse has been commonly paraphrased as “God will never give you anything you can’t handle.” I’ve heard it repeated thousands of times. I’ve even repeated it to others. This past week that very paraphrase became my mantra.
It was Wednesday. I had a writing deadline approaching and a to-do list longer than usual, but all was put on hold when the kids awoke. They were cranky. Zach was running a fever and Isabel was congested; both requiring extra cuddles and undivided attention. On top of this, Zach’s eczema had flared up overnight leaving an open and infected right hand. Rick was also under the weather. He decided to take half a sick day and work from home. My mantra was well rehearsed and quietly whispered in the back of my mind. “God will never give you anything you can’t handle.”
I settled the kids in front of a movie with blankets and pacis and all things comfortable, then started a load of laundry. I was waiting for 9am to call the allergist about Zach’s hand. Before that time came, the washer overflowed flooding the basement, Isabel had diarrhea (unfortunately, not in the potty), and Zach vomited all over Rick and my freshly cleaned bathroom. A little louder: “God will never give you anything you can’t handle.”
The allergist was free in the afternoon; we made a 1pm appointment. After cleaning both the kids and the bathroom (again) and attempting to mop the basement mess, I put Zach down for an early nap. Somehow I managed to get a shower and some lunch before heading off to the doctor’s office. There we discovered Zach had a double ear infection. At this point I started repeating it aloud: “God will never give you anything you can’t handle!”
As the words rolled off my tongue and into my ears I heard what a silly statement it is. First of all, the verses refer specifically to temptation, not trials, so the paraphrase is inaccurate. Secondly, to say God will not give me anything I can’t handle assumes I have strength of my own. I do not. I can’t do anything without God’s help. It is only because of Him that I am breathing at this moment; only because of Him I can wake each morning.
If we change it just a bit – God will never give you anything you can’t handle WITH HIM – well, that’s better, but not very encouraging. When you realize there is nothing God cannot handle, then you’re faced with this reality: Hell can land face-up on your front step and there is nothing you can do about it.
The good news? God can do everything about it. By trusting in Him, there is nothing through which you cannot stand. Note I said “stand”. I don’t mean we cower on the floor waiting for the storm to pass. God will help us stand through whatever trials come our way. You may not enjoy it, but you’ll survive. You’ll survive with a renewed faith and deeper layer of sanctification. This is where we find our encouragement.
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26
“Everything is possible for him who believes.” – Mark 9:23
Over time this verse has been commonly paraphrased as “God will never give you anything you can’t handle.” I’ve heard it repeated thousands of times. I’ve even repeated it to others. This past week that very paraphrase became my mantra.
It was Wednesday. I had a writing deadline approaching and a to-do list longer than usual, but all was put on hold when the kids awoke. They were cranky. Zach was running a fever and Isabel was congested; both requiring extra cuddles and undivided attention. On top of this, Zach’s eczema had flared up overnight leaving an open and infected right hand. Rick was also under the weather. He decided to take half a sick day and work from home. My mantra was well rehearsed and quietly whispered in the back of my mind. “God will never give you anything you can’t handle.”
I settled the kids in front of a movie with blankets and pacis and all things comfortable, then started a load of laundry. I was waiting for 9am to call the allergist about Zach’s hand. Before that time came, the washer overflowed flooding the basement, Isabel had diarrhea (unfortunately, not in the potty), and Zach vomited all over Rick and my freshly cleaned bathroom. A little louder: “God will never give you anything you can’t handle.”
The allergist was free in the afternoon; we made a 1pm appointment. After cleaning both the kids and the bathroom (again) and attempting to mop the basement mess, I put Zach down for an early nap. Somehow I managed to get a shower and some lunch before heading off to the doctor’s office. There we discovered Zach had a double ear infection. At this point I started repeating it aloud: “God will never give you anything you can’t handle!”
As the words rolled off my tongue and into my ears I heard what a silly statement it is. First of all, the verses refer specifically to temptation, not trials, so the paraphrase is inaccurate. Secondly, to say God will not give me anything I can’t handle assumes I have strength of my own. I do not. I can’t do anything without God’s help. It is only because of Him that I am breathing at this moment; only because of Him I can wake each morning.
If we change it just a bit – God will never give you anything you can’t handle WITH HIM – well, that’s better, but not very encouraging. When you realize there is nothing God cannot handle, then you’re faced with this reality: Hell can land face-up on your front step and there is nothing you can do about it.
The good news? God can do everything about it. By trusting in Him, there is nothing through which you cannot stand. Note I said “stand”. I don’t mean we cower on the floor waiting for the storm to pass. God will help us stand through whatever trials come our way. You may not enjoy it, but you’ll survive. You’ll survive with a renewed faith and deeper layer of sanctification. This is where we find our encouragement.
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26
“Everything is possible for him who believes.” – Mark 9:23
All scripture taken from the NIV translation.
Labels: encouragement, illness, parenting, trials
1 Comments:
How funny, I just mentioned this recently to a friend...Mother Theresa had said, "I know God won't give me more than I can handle, I just wish He didn't trust me so much." But my son, still a child at the time, told me it should be worded, "I know God WILL give me more than I can handle, I just wish He could trust me MORE."
And this is true with what you shared; with God all things are possible. May we trust Him to the point that He can do the impossible in and through our lives.
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