The Myth of More than You Can Handle

I'm not a fan of bumper sticker theology. That's a term that easily describes quick, feel-good comments that are passed off as biblical theology.

Some carry absolute truth, such as "God loves you," or "Jesus is Lord of all." True, yes. But, they don't tell the whole story. For that matter, they don't even come close.

But, bumper sticker theology is best known for taking a biblical truth (or a part of it) and twisting it into something designed to give us warm fuzzies. One of the worst offenders is the notion that God will not give you more than you can handle.

You actually hear this phrase quoted quite often from Christians who mean well. I mean, who doesn't want to follow Jesus and know that life will be sunshine and roses. But, the notion that God won't give you more than you can handle is a myth.

In fact, the Bible is full of examples where the people who followed God were dealing with much more than they could handle.

• Noah knew a flood was coming and had to build a boat to carry animals from each land and air species.
• Joseph was hated by his family, sold into slavery and locked in prison for crimes he didn't commit.
• Moses had to lead over a million grumpy, needy people through the desert.
• Gideon had to lead a strike team of 300 into battle against thousands in the enemy camp.
• David spent several years on the run from King Saul, battling depression, lonliness and loss.
• Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were members of the royal family in Judah. After a short war, they were captured by the Babylonians, saw their friends and families slaughtered, sent to Babylon, had their names changed and likely became eunichs. Later they were thrown into a furnace for their beliefs.
• Their friend, Daniel, faced similar abuse, but instead of a furnace, he was thrown into a pit with lions for his beliefs.
• Then, there's Jesus. The son of God was murdered.

I think it's easy to see from these examples and from the rest of the Bible that merely believing in God does not prevent us from receiving more than we can handle. Yet, there is a segment of Christianity that still believes this myth.

It comes, in part, from a need to feel good and comfortable with one's own beliefs. But, it is also a mis-interpretation of scripture. This belief is a hijack of a verse that deals with temptation, and how God will always provide a way of escape from it.

So, what is the proper way Christ-followers should view the difficulties of life? I think you should first understand that we live in a broken world. God created perfection, yet mankind ruined it with sin. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, this world has been gradually decaying. Bad stuff happens. Stuff that we cannot control.

However, Romans 8:26-28 tells us that even during these bad times, God works through the trials for his followers. He may not necessarily stop the pain, but he can use the pain to make you into something greater.