I can't remember how many times I have heard this through the
years but it is significant. It's supposed to be a comforting statement
for people when they are experiencing a time of great difficulty. The
idea is that God knows how much strength you have so He will not allow
difficulty to become so heavy that you fall under it.
I suppose this is a misunderstanding of 1 Cor. 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." (NAS) The ability mentioned here is not our
ability but God's ability, because without Jesus we can do nothing.
God will give you more than you can handle
because, He wants to handle it through you with His strength instead of
yours. As a matter of fact, He will give you more than you can handle
because He is jealous for you to get to know His Son, Jesus Christ in
you. That means He wants you to talk with Christ in you as you rely
on Him more, instead of talking to yourself so much as you rely on yourself.
The Apostle Paul knew how it felt to have more than you can personally handle.
He thought he was going to die but he tells us God had a
purpose in it. "Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of
death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the
dead." (2 Corinthians 1:9 ESV)
Learning to rely on Christ in you through
overwhelming difficulties is necessary if you are going to spiritually mature,
for it not only blesses you, but others as well. What a cool plan God has
in place! You get to know and experience Jesus in you more and then
others get to know Him more as He lives through you. "For we who
live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of
Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in
us, but life in you." (2 Cor. 4:11-12 ESV)
Are you going through great difficulty? Tell
God you give up on your own strength and ability! Then become enamored
with Jesus by focusing on and relying on Him!
Believe it. This is the
Gospel!
Live Free In Christ,
Mark Maulding, President and Founder www.GraceLifeInternational.com
All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding
