Can You Really Handle it?

“God won’t give me more than I can handle.”  I hear the statement a lot. What many don’t realize is this is not a truth found in the Bible.

I believe God often allows us to have more than we can handle so we will draw near to him.

In 1 Peter 4:12-13 the Apostle Peter says, Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

At this writing, followers of Christ were already being persecuted for their faith.  Stephen had been stoned to death, James the brother of John was put to death by the sword and Peter himself had been imprisoned by King Herod before an angel of the Lord miraculously led him out of the jail cell. For the early believers, living with the threat of being dragged out of their homes to a certain death may have been more than they could handle.

But Peter said to “rejoice.”

The Greek word for rejoice also means “to be delighted.”  When was the last time you were delighted when God gave you more than you can handle?

Peter also says we should be delighted when trials come because we are participating in the sufferings of Christ. Christ was persecuted, beaten, wore a crown of thorns, mocked, spat on and crucified. Any suffering I might have pales in comparison.

Was all this more than Jesus could handle?

I am thinking it might have been too much,  but He drew near to his Heavenly Father to get through his trials. He found pockets of time to escape from the crowds to spend with God so he could be strengthened for what was to come.

Even Jesus had help carrying His cross.

When we receive more than we can handle, we need to go to our Father in prayer to lift some of the burden off of us. It’s like taking your out of town Christmas gifts to the local UPS store to package and ship. There’s relief in turning this part of the process to them.

In the same way, we need to turn over our heavy loads to God so we are not so weighted down. All the worry, fear, and heartbreak seem lighter when you know the Lord is carrying the troubles for us, That’s why he says in Matthew 11:28-30:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

I’ve found that after a time of prayer spent with Him, whatever is going on doesn’t seem more than I can handle anymore.

What about you? Are you struggling to juggle the tonnage of all the trials you are going through? Are you wondering why God gave you more than you can handle? It’s a cue that the Lord wants you to turn to him for a helping hand. Only He is strong enough to lift the weight of the world off your shoulders because it’s more than you can handle.