Do you believe the phrase, "God won't give you more than you can handle"?

psalms 91

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So it wasn't Job's strength and Job couldn't handle it without God handling it for him?
Peter did not remain true to God at the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Did Peter's failure mean Peter could handle it, but failed or did it mean God gave Peter more than he could handle?
All of our strength comes from God, our source for all. Peters failure meant that the flesh became afraid and took control rather than the spirit. I think you know this stuff so why are we going round and round about it
 

MennoSota

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All of our strength comes from God, our source for all. Peters failure meant that the flesh became afraid and took control rather than the spirit. I think you know this stuff so why are we going round and round about it
I'm trying to get at the meaning of the phrase, "God won't give you more than you can handle." I emphasize the word "you" and I think that God does give "you" more than"you" can handle. It is not, however, more than God can handle, which forces us to either have faith or give in to despair.
In Peter's experiences at the trial of Jesus we see Peter fall to despair. After Jesus sends the Holy Spirit on Pentacost we see a Peter who has lost all trust in himself, but has gained great faith in God.
 

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tango

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I have heard this phrase shared with a person at a number of funerals. Is this saying true?

I suppose it depends on how one defines "you can handle".

First of all I think the saying is perhaps a distortion of 1Co 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" which talks more of God providing a way of avoiding temptation than escaping other difficult situations. That said, it could be argued that particularly brutal trials in life could represent a temptation to abandon our faith in the God who apparently isn't protecting us from them.

During my school days the standard prayer in our daily assemblies included the line "we do not ask for tasks equal to our powers, we ask for powers equal to our tasks". I forget who was quoted as saying "if God brings you to it he will bring you through it", and I suspect that if we are willing to follow God come what may then he will guide us through everything, even if our life changes beyond recognition in the process. If we regard major life changes as meaning we can't handle something then it's entirely possible God will give us things we can't handle. If we expect to do everything in our own strength it's also entirely possible God will give us something we can't handle. If we are willing to hold everything loosely, knowing that ultimately it all belongs to God anyway, and accept that God is in control of our destiny, perhaps it becomes easier to handle things we would rather not face.

If we, like Christ, are truly willing to say "not my will but yours be done", perhaps things become easier. And as with so much else of this nature, it's so easy to write it on a message board and not always so easy to actually live it.
 

MennoSota

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I suppose it depends on how one defines "you can handle".

First of all I think the saying is perhaps a distortion of 1Co 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" which talks more of God providing a way of avoiding temptation than escaping other difficult situations. That said, it could be argued that particularly brutal trials in life could represent a temptation to abandon our faith in the God who apparently isn't protecting us from them.

During my school days the standard prayer in our daily assemblies included the line "we do not ask for tasks equal to our powers, we ask for powers equal to our tasks". I forget who was quoted as saying "if God brings you to it he will bring you through it", and I suspect that if we are willing to follow God come what may then he will guide us through everything, even if our life changes beyond recognition in the process. If we regard major life changes as meaning we can't handle something then it's entirely possible God will give us things we can't handle. If we expect to do everything in our own strength it's also entirely possible God will give us something we can't handle. If we are willing to hold everything loosely, knowing that ultimately it all belongs to God anyway, and accept that God is in control of our destiny, perhaps it becomes easier to handle things we would rather not face.

If we, like Christ, are truly willing to say "not my will but yours be done", perhaps things become easier. And as with so much else of this nature, it's so easy to write it on a message board and not always so easy to actually live it.
Well said, tango.
 

Lamb

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I thought childbirth was something more than I wanted to handle ;) That's why I have one child! LOL But seriously I disagree with people using that phrase because it's just not found in the bible. People do die from things they cannot handle...was it given to them by God? I don't know but God told Satan to give Job some tough things and even though Job handled it...I'm not sure I could handle if my only child were to die :(
 

MennoSota

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I thought childbirth was something more than I wanted to handle ;) That's why I have one child! LOL But seriously I disagree with people using that phrase because it's just not found in the bible. People do die from things they cannot handle...was it given to them by God? I don't know but God told Satan to give Job some tough things and even though Job handled it...I'm not sure I could handle if my only child were to die :(
If we read the book of Job and the dialogue we see that Job didn't handle it. God came and corrected everyone. God brought Job through the unbearable (and based upon Job having more children I suspect God brought Job's wife through the unbearable as well).
 

Lamb

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If we read the book of Job and the dialogue we see that Job didn't handle it. God came and corrected everyone. God brought Job through the unbearable (and based upon Job having more children I suspect God brought Job's wife through the unbearable as well).

Well, when I read Job I thought that he DID handle it. Being sad is still handling things. When people cannot handle things they turn to alcohol, drugs, abuse and suicide.
 

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There are days when I really don't believe it. Those are the days when everything is thrown at me, all at once. But other days I know hes by my side so I can get through anything.
 

MennoSota

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Well, when I read Job I thought that he DID handle it. Being sad is still handling things. When people cannot handle things they turn to alcohol, drugs, abuse and suicide.

When people can't handle alcohol, drugs and abuse they turn to...
A) some other created thing
B) God

Job attempts to figure it all out on his own. He refuses to curse God, but he still attempts to solve the mystery by his own power. His friends join in to "help" him. It is only when God enters the scene and Job is brought to complete surrender that relief comes to Job.

Job did not handle it. Job, like all of us, fell flat on his face.
I reject the phrase, "God won't give you more than you can handle." God will give us much more than we could possibly handle so that there is only God that we can trust.
 
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