And another thing! - Does the Bible say that God won’t give us more than we can handle?

And another thing! – Does the Bible say that God won’t give us more than we can handle?

The great part about getting three or four Bible readings on Sunday is that there’s always plenty to preach on. The downside to having all the readings on a Sunday is that there’s sometimes more that I want to say!

This week we heard from 1 Corinthians 10. The apostle Paul says in verse 13: 13 No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Often, we hear that verse paraphrased in conversation as, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” Friends in Christ, it says that we won’t be TEMPTED beyond what we can handle. There is no TESTING you can’t endure.

Life, on the other hand, is more than we can handle all the time. In my life right now, God has called me into the roles of parent, pastor, fiancée, friend, daughter, sister, and citizen. That’s more than I can handle, without throwing in any particular drama. That’s not a failing on my part. That’s a feature of being human.

Because I can’t do all the things all the time, I have to rely on God and the people around me. We aren’t built to do life alone.

Paul didn’t mean that you should be able to handle every situation that comes your way all the time. That’s not a reasonable expectation. Paul does believe that there is no temptation that we can’t overcome with the support of God. In every situation, he says, God provides a way out. We may not always find it, but it’s there.

Thank you for being there for me when my life is beyond my strength, and thanks for letting me support you when your life is more than you can handle today. God made us to work together. It’s a beautiful thing to see the partnerships that happen because of God’s loving will for us.

Pastor Emily