When too much is just enough

When too much is just enough:

I meet with a couple of men this week who are going thorough some very difficult times right not and I
heard it said, “God is not going to give me more than I can handle, right?”. And then out comes
“ But, this is more than I can stand, I can’t take any more”.

So which is it? Does God allow more into our lives than we can handle? I believe the answer is most definitely yes. Look at what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 1:8-10 – We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.

Think for a minute about a time when you felt so overwhelmed that you cried out and begged God to remove you from it or at least help you through it, got it? Now try to imagine how things might have been different if God said, “oh you can handle it, you don’t need me”.

Many times in my own life I have faced trials and consequences far beyond what I was able to handle. If God had said that he would not give us more, troubles, trials or difficulties than we can handle, then why would we need him? If we are so self-sufficient and can handle anything then why do we fail so often? We need God and he wants us to need him. When I started to BELIEVE God and not just “believe in” God, then things really started to make sense.

God wants to use our hurts, mistakes and failures, transforming them into alters of worship. We must believe that God is not only bigger than our hurts but that He is also bigger than our mistakes and unbelief – even those things we have brought on ourselves.

In spite of what we feel or what our circumstances say, we choose to believe the truth of God’s word and what He says about us. We allow it to transform our situation and heal us. This isn’t denying the reality of our circumstance but, rather, denying their right to remain in control of our lives.

Look again at what Paul says, this time in 1 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Paul got it (most of the time) but he, like us, was just a man, or woman. But he believed God and what God told him in 1 Corinthians 12:9 – My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

We are told in 1 Corinthians 10:13- No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” Temptations, not trials, but that is for a different time.

For me, I have found that “too much” is just enough. So what about you? Are you ready to go from just believing in God to BELIEVE God? Just a thought!

Peace to you, Dave