People are surprised to find that a lot of things that are said as scripture are not scripture such as:
• “This, too, shall pass”
• “God helps those who help themselves”
• “Spare the rod, spoil the child”
• “God works in mysterious ways”
• “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”
• “Rob Peter to pay Paul”
It really bothers me when I hear someone tell those who are going through a great difficulty that the Bible says: “God will never put more on you than you can bear.”
I lost my dad on April 10, 2007 and six days later I lost my brother on August 16; two family members in less than a week’s time.
Well meaning people said to me and my family: “God will never put more on you than you can bear.”
Let me tell you, there is no comfort in that saying!
It is like so many other things that people hear and retell as the gospel when it isn’t. It is simply not in the Bible!
It is something that has been taking out of context that does not apply to human suffering and tragedy.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
God will not allow temptation to be so great that we cannot resist it. So out the window goes the argument: “The devil made me do it” or “I just can’t help it”.
He’s talking about TEMPTATION which is totally different from burdens that are unbearable.
Even the great apostle Paul wrote:
2 Corinthians 1:8 (NLT)
8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.
The Psalmist felt the heavy burden of sin as overwhelming in:
Psalm 38:4
4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
I am not so super spiritual that I can handle everything that comes my way in life. When death, sickness and disease come it is more than we can bear. When there is financial reversal, marital difficulties and trouble in the home; it is more than we can bear.
How can you tell a couple who are convulsing before the lifeless body of their newborn baby that “God will not allow more to come on you than you can bear”, and expect that to give them some kind of solace.
How can you tell that to a grieving widow who has just experienced the sudden passing of her husband in the prime of his life?
There have been many things that I have gone through personally that were more than I could bear.
When you stop to think about it; if we could bear everything that comes our way then we wouldn’t need the Lord to help us.
It is cruel and unjust to tell people that they can handle whatever they are going through because God will not allow more to come on them than they can bear.
It is not about what we can bear; it’s about what God can bear!
1 Peter 5:7
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Isaiah 9:6
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
He can handle all of our cares; He can carry the weight of the government and the world on His shoulders.
We cannot handle everything but God can!
There are things beyond our strength but not beyond the strength of God.
When we look to the cross we are reminded of this broken and sin cursed world that we live in but it also reminds us that we are not alone.
God understands what we are facing and what we are going through at all times. It is through faith in God that we understand that He is there to help us in times of trouble and to bear our burdens.
Psalm 121:1-2
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
God loves us and He understands about the burdens of life and that is one of the reasons He has given us the church.
The church is of great value when we are facing the heartaches and burdens of life.
Galatians 6:2 a
“Bear ye one another's burdens”
In the church we have one another to help us through difficult times. We are surrounded by those in the household of faith who can sympathize and empathize with us.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
It offers no comfort to tell those who are hurting that God will not allow more to come on them than they can bear; in fact it hurts them deeply.
Just remember, what is unbearable for you is not unbearable for God. What you can't handle; He can!
