God Delights in Giving Us More Than We can Handle

I have bad news and good news:

The bad news is that there is no verse in the Bible which states, "God will not give you more than you can handle."

The good news is that what the Bible actually says is far better.

Allow me to explain:

What most people quote as "God will not give you more than you can handle" is actually an adaptation of 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says, "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 a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

That's a big difference, and I hope you caught it. The adapted version makes you feel like God knows exactly who you are and will only 'put on' you what He knows you can take. The actual verse states that this is in reference to temptation and that He will provide another route to take so that you can endure the temptation. Think of Jesus in the desert. Satan comes to tempt Him with food and power and riches beyond anything the world had to offer. Jesus doesn't skip the temptation. He faces it, and with the Word He rebukes His enemy who subsequently leaves. God provides His Word to combat the temptations of the enemy so that when those temptations come you can endure them without succumbing to them. Read that sentence again.

Here is how this verse should be used. It is meant to show that God is not the tempter, though He will allow for temptation for the sake of refining the faith of His children. It is part of God's sanctifying work in our lives that we face temptations and learn, by His grace, to overcome them. Here are some supporting verses that I would commend to you for your edification on this subject:

Deuteronomy 7:9 - this verse is alluded to by Paul in the passage to the Corinthians (note: "faithful God")
Mark 1: 12-13 - it was the Holy Spirit that 'drove' Jesus into the wilderness where He was tempted (note: the Holy Spirit drove but Satan tempted)
Hebrews 4:14-16 - this is essentially the gospel as it relates to temptation
James 1:13 - simple enough: "Let no one say..., 'I am being tempted by God.'"
1 John 2:16 - worldly things are worldly, not godly and not from God

Perhaps you're thinking, "But I like the interpretation where God doesn't give us more than we can handle." First, too bad, that's not what it says. Second, what the Bible says is even better.

God regularly gives us more than we can handle. Why? Because He wants us to rely on Him for everything (Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 6:25-34). He desires that we would allow His grace to be the most obvious characteristic marking our lives (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). A cursory glance at the Davidic Psalms would be enough to reveal how true this is. Honestly, how often did David write about being surrounded by his enemies and how only the Lord could deliver him? If you want a stirring example of this and of the lengths to which God will go to rescue one of His children in danger, read Psalm 18. God delights in giving us more than we can handle because He delights in our recognition of our need for Him. And then, when He brings us through those overwhelming times, He allows us to experience an ounce of His delight when we are able to comfort someone going through a similar situation (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). This is a far better reality than one wherein God makes sure to hold back the hard stuff because 'we can't handle it', thereby turning us into spoiled children who have lost all concept of gratitude and humility.

In the words of Monty Python, 'and now for something completely different':

For those who have been paying attention to my posts about biblical interpretation, you may have caught a theme. Just in case, I will elucidate it. Context is critical to understanding Scripture. It is possible to make any single verse of the Bible say whatever you want it to say. When you take into account the context, however, this is not possible. In fact, it is often ridiculous. My encouragement is this: read the Bible, all of it, and don't settle for anything cheaper than the Truth.

For those who have really been paying attention, you may have caught a second theme. The verses that get taken out of context are often placed into a context which makes it sound like our lives as Christians should be more comfortable. Think about it - 'my yoke is easy' gets taken as 'the Christian life is easy, simple' rather than 'the Christian life is good because Christ did the heavy lifting already'; 'I can do all things' gets taken as 'I can do whatever I want' instead of 'no matter the circumstance, I can be content and remain in Christ'. Today's example even goes so far as to edit the actual biblical text with words more suited to our purposes in comfort-seeking. The word 'temptation' is removed entirely and the connotation becomes something wholly different than its intended purpose. We take verses out of context because we like to be comfortable, and we want to find ways to justify that comfort.

I am as guilty of this as anyone. Perhaps I appear very diligent about keeping verses in context. How about all the verses I politely ignore because of their implications? No, I am not free from this sin. But God has begun a work in me that I hope, trust, and pray will extend to you, dear reader. Seeking our personal comfort is the same as seeking our personal destruction.