The "God will never give you more than you can handle" myth

By now you’ve probably learned that I have a pet peeve with Christian cliché’s and the ever annoying Christian-isms. If you haven’t learned that yet then keep following this blog, I promise I have a long list of them.

Like this one, “God will never give you more than you can handle”. I’m not sure when it became a “Christian cliché” for me. I also can’t remember when I realized that it wasn’t biblical; I mean it sounds scripture-y, right? I know that I have quoted this to a hurting friend, and even to God in prayer as if somehow reminding him of a promise he never made is going to work to my advantage.  

In the midst of the Robin Williams tragedy I’ve thought about this one a lot. I’m sure some well-meaning individual at some time in Robin’s life told him this. I’m sure it gave him hope for a moment, but then when reality hit again that he actually was given more than he could handle, all hope was lost.

Therein lays my problem with this quote. By saying God will never give us more than we can handle essentially what we are saying is that God will give us things we can handle in our own strength.

 What we should say is “God will never give us more than HE can handle.”

The verse commonly associated with this quote is in 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

The key word there is “temptation”. Not struggle. Not hardship. Not pain. Not suffering. Not loss. 

The other part of this scripture that seems to get looked over when it’s used to defend this quote is that God is the one who provides the way of escape. Our ability to not be overtaken by temptation depends on us finding and utilizing this exit door that HE provides.

I don’t want to believe the lie that there is some sort of glass ceiling on suffering. There isn’t, and we greatly diminish God’s power when we insist that there is. If choosing to not believe this lie means that I’m accepting that at some point God will allow me to go through such suffering that I feel buried under the weight of it with my only “way of escape” being His strength, then I'm okay with that.

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory” 1 Peter 4:12-13

As a follower of Christ, I'd much rather have an abundant life, than an easy one. The word says that we come to know Christ by sharing in his suffering. I’d much rather say that I intimately know Christ because I’ve suffered than say I’ve only had struggles that I could handle on my own. One brings forth growth while the other only brings pride.