It’s so easy to fall into clichés sometimes, especially when we are at a loss for words. I am learning to be more and more cautious about some of these things that we say as many are neither true nor productive…

God will not give you more than you can bear… Is this True?

It depends what we are talking about actually… This commonly quoted phrase is often backed up by 1 Corinthians 10:13 which reads:

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.

It is so important to read the bible in context. If you read the chapter you will find that Paul is cautioning the church of Corinth not to fall into temptation and participate in immoral acts. The people of Corinth worshipped various gods and had many idols. Sexual perversions were also commonplace, even in the name of worship with temple prostitutes forming an element of their worship to the goddess Aphrodite.

So what does the scripture actually mean? I believe that Paul is saying, that though we are faced with all sorts of temptations that could lead us into sin, we are to remain steadfast and resist falling into evil. He also says that God always provides a way out. In other words, we cannot say we sinned because we “had no choice”. There is always a choice and it is up to us to walk in a way that honours God.

This scripture is not however referring to trials and hardships. Much of which many are experiencing at the moment and will continue to encounter as we navigate the seas of life.

Where Paul does refer to such hardships is in 2 Corinthians 1:8

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 

Paul actually speaks about being unable to endure and goes on to say in 2 Corinthians 1:9

Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

It is about time that we realise that cannot simply rely on our own strength but instead, lean on God. Paul speaks of God’s faithfulness to deliver as we read on in 2 Corinthians 1:10

He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us again. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us.

Far too often we try to do it on our own. We get caught up in clichés such as “God will not give us more than we can handle” and “God gives His greatest battles to His strongest soldiers” (topic for another day…) and in the process, end up carrying far more than we are able to and collapse under the pressure.

Is that not what the enemy wants? Of course it is. The enemy rejoices as we face emotional breakdowns, anxiety, sickness brought on by stress and even suicide.

Why else would God repeatedly tell us to place our burdens upon Him?

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28-29

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

Psalm 55:22

We often quote 2 Corinthians 4:8 which reads:

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Let’s now look at the verse directly before:

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

Today I encourage you not to attempt to bear the load in your own strength, run into His arms and allow God to carry you through, after all, that is what a good Father does for the child that He loves, He comforts, He undertakes, He provides, He heals, He binds up our wounds and makes us whole.