More than we can handle . . .

There is a famous saying that people will use when times get tough to try and sure up those they care about.  "God will never give you more than you can handle."  (1 Cor 10:13)  Many people think that this means that God will never give you a really hard challenge that seems impossible for you to conquer.  However, I think it would be a more appropriate saying to say "God will never give you more than He can handle."  The bible verse tells us 2 different ways that God will help us when we get tempted (or I believe go through any trial, not just a temptation).

The first way that we can overcome trials and temptations is with "a way to escape."  I think this is the way a lot of people believe it will happen for them. We believe a trial will come along and a way to maneuver away from the situation will appear and all we need to do is take that way and we'll be fine.  This does appear to happen in many occasions.  For example, Billy is hanging out with his friends one night.  They decided they want to go and sneak into a movie because they don't have any money.  Billy, faced with the choice between being mocked by his friends or breaking the law (no matter how minor it may be) may all of a sudden get a phone call from his family stating they need him home right away.  He has a way out of the situation without much cause for pain or suffering.  This, of course, would be an ideal situation if that happened every time we were faced with a temptation or trial.  In that case all we would need to do is look for the exit and take it.

In my life, this doesn't seem to to be the way challenges in life are dealt with.  So lets go back to the bible and see what else it has to say when overcoming trials.  The second way of dealing with things is by God making a way "that ye may be able to bear it."  Now this seems to be my least favorite way of handling things and yet the way that seems to occur the most.  With this situation, there isn't a way to escape or get away from whatever it is we are going to face.  Instead, the way is going through it.  I believe this is where many people become lost and think to themselves, "I can't handle this.  It's too much.  God said he would never give me more than I can handle and I can't handle this."  It is during this time that I believe a loving and caring Father looks down upon us and gently says, "I know.  That's why I'm here.  Come to me and I will help you."  He constantly reaches out His hand to us eager to give us that little boost of support we need to conquer and overcome whatever we may face.

It seems in the world today that there are so many voices that are shouting a very different message to us.  "You just need to buck up!"  "You need to be strong!"  "Don't take things so seriously!"  All of these messages indicate there is something that we can do to overcome.  When we are feeling as though there is nothing more we can do, sayings like this only increase the burden we feel because we believe somehow we are less, we are flawed, and we are weak.  Thus continues the spiral of despair and we grow more and more desperate for a way out.

Sometimes there just isn't anything else we can do.  And that's okay.  It's at that moment that if we are wise and humble enough, we will turn to the one who is able to help, the one that understands us more than we do ourselves.  As we turn to God for help in overcoming life's burdens we will find the second half of that scripture come to fruition.  Notice he doesn't say our burdens will be made non-existent.  We will continue to face the burdens of life as that is the way it was supposed to be.  The burdens will continue to plague us as we travel through this mortal existence.  However, instead of being overwhelmed and dragged into the deep pits of darkness and despair, we will be shored up and strengthened that we can bear the burden until it is passed and we are stronger for it.

Someone I was listening to recently shared a great story of a man who was told to deliver things to remote villages in Africa.  On his journey he had to cross several rivers over bridges that really were not built to handle the load he was carrying.  He knew it was important for him to cross though he also knew if he tried, the bridges would surely collapse under him. In this story, I thought of myself being one of those bridges.  I can imagine my thoughts as a enormous truck rumbled toward me shaking the very ground I rested on.  "Oh please no!  I can't handle that much weight," I would think.  It truly would appear as though I would never be able to handle the burden this truck wished me to bear.  Imagine the relief as the truck stops just before the large tires begin to place their pressure upon me.  Until I hear the driver get out and say, "I have got to get across this bridge.  There is no other way."  I imagine this is what many of us feel as we face some heavy burdens in this life.  In the story the driver stopped the truck and began to develop some extra poles made from lumber he cut down around.  He would place the poles under strategic areas giving the bridge support in the ways it needed so the truck could continue across it.  With the bridge shored up with the added support, the truck was able to drive across slowly and safely.  This is what God can do for us.  He gives us the poles necessary through inspiration, friends, family, loved ones, and of course the Holy Spirit.  With these supports He allows the burden to come ahead and we are able to bear the load until the time has passed and we realize we have conquered and endured.

I believe there isn't any challenge or burden on this earth that God will give us or allow us to face that we cannot overcome with His help.  In my prayers I have learned from the great exemplar, Jesus Christ, as he prayed in the garden when he said, "Not my will but thine be done."  Of course when faced with a heavy burden or feel as though I can't go on, I will always ask first if it might be taken away.  Knowing this is rarely going to happen because it would not be in my best interest, I quickly follow up with asking for the strength to endure whatever His will for me is.  As long as I do this, I know I can conquer any trial, temptation, or burden that comes along.  For truly, God will never give me more than He can handle.