As a young
Christian, I thought that when bad things happened in my life that maybe God
didn’t love me. (If He loved me, he
wouldn’t let bad things happen, would He?)
Many years ago I heard the statement- supposedly from the Bible- God
won’t give you more than you can handle.
Accepting
this statement was easy since I wanted it to be true and I heard it from so
many Christians in context of the many trials I faced. What I should have done
is look it up because I certainly felt many of my trials were way more than I
could bear, which caused me to blame God for allowing them. I’m pretty sure I even called Him a
liar! Big oops… glad He is merciful and
didn’t strike me down with a lightning bolt!
No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to
escape, so that you may be able to bear it.
1Cr. 10:13
First off,
the word temptation is defined in length by Thayer; some of the synonyms are: an experiment, trial, proving (test),
adversity, affliction, trouble. Though
every Bible version I read uses temptation, like the passages of Jesus’
temptation in the desert (Lk. 4:13),
there are other meanings as well
that we can’t ignore. It certainly makes
sense in the context of the first part of the Scripture.
No trial,
adversity or temptation has happened to you but that which is common for mankind
in general. Somewhere, sometime others
have gone through similar, same or even worse adversities, so don’t be
surprised (1Pt. 4:12). “…the same kinds of suffering are being
experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1Pt. 5:9 ESV)
For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a
heavy burden they are too heavy for me… I am feeble and painfully broken; I
have roared because of the groanings of my heart. Ps. 38:4,8
For, brothers, we would not have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength; so much so
that we despaired even of life. But we had the
sentence of death in ourselves, so that we should not trust in ourselves, but
in God who raises the dead; 2Cr. 1:8,9
David and
Paul here are both writing of very painful times with burdens too hard to
bear. This is common to man. All the main characters in the Bible went
through some really tough times, many with different outcomes. In persecution, Stephen was killed (Ac. 7:59), John was exiled (Rv. 1:9), yet Paul and
Silas escaped (Ac. 16). David was
rescued sometimes and not others. We cannot guarantee our outcome only that all men go through troubles, some of them so bad we don’t
think we’ll survive.
We CAN survive troubles beyond our ability to bear, because here I
am as proof. Two were life threatening, and one was so bad I considered ending my own
life (yes I was a Christian). Paul hints
above at one way to survive these terrible times, but in short, it helps to
remember who God is- faithful (1Cr. 10:13), that He is with us and supports us in them all, and will
bring us through all.
Our God stands
with us in suffering- He Himself suffered for us, was rejected, humiliated and
beaten, then endured a horrible death as a criminal on the cross. He endured it for love of us, and He won't leave us alone in our adversities. He is here to comfort and will comfort us in
all our troubles / anguish! (2Cr. 1:3.4)
(Stay tuned for the next installment of When Bad Things
Happen- Part 2)