Too Much to Handle?

Introduction

We Christians say things sometimes hoping to help people but those sayings can possibly confuse or mislead.

We often say that the Bible says things that it doesn’t. We claim God says things that He doesn’t and instead of helping people we may actually hinder them.

Over the next several weeks, we will look at some common phrases Christians say and ask the simple question: Did God really say that?

Let’s join together in prayer.

Illustration: Have Inez attempt to carry a heavy backpack. It will be too heavy for her and I will have to carry it instead.

This pack is too heavy for Inez. Somehow there is a hidden expectation that she must carry it. The truth is that she has me and I can lift things that she cannot. Instead of her trying to carry it, it would be in her best interest to let me carry it. After all, we will be going together, won’t we?

Today we look at a phrase that I am sure most of you have heard and you may have even said it yourself. How many of you have said:“God will never give you more than you can handle.”

Lets just be honest — life has a way of punching you in the gut and giving you much more than you can handle but never more than God can handle. Sometimes we say things like this and end up with confused looks. Because when you are going through tough times, it sure feels like it is more than you can handle.

The problem with phrases like this is first of all its not true. It sounds comforting, it sounds right and feels spiritual. But phrases like this can misrepresent God and affect how we relate to Him.

There are times when we feel like it is more than we can handle and we begin to feel like a failure. We feel like we are somehow less-than Christians and the enemy loves to wreak havoc with your emotions. He makes you try to think that your faith is weak. The problem is not that your faith is weak or that you are a less-than person, it is simply that we have tried to live up to a statement that is a lie.

Scripture has a little something to say about this.

Lets look at our Bibles this morning as our authority and not to current trends or popular teachings.

2 Corinthians 1:8–10 NLT

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. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.

God Never Promised You Would Be Able to Handle Everything

We would love to believe that God will never give us more than we can handle but the Bible paints a different picture.

The Bible is filled with situations where God’s people were not able to handle things on their own.

Look again at what the apostle Paul writes:

2 Corinthians 1:8 “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.”

Does Paul say:

It was hard but we managed (NO)

It was a challenge but we had some good training (NO)

It was tough but I had spent a lot of time in the gym getting ready so it was no big deal (NO, NO, NO)

He said we were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure

We thought we would never live through it.

Has anyone been there?

Let me ask you this: Do you think Paul had weak faith?

If the statement “God will never gives you more than you can handle” were true then the guy who wrote much of the New Testament would never have been at a place that he would have thought he would not live through it.

The good news is that He did make it through!

I love how Scripture does not try to brush things like this under the rug. We need to see the reality of things.

Here’s a truth bomb for you: People get overwhelmed!

There are numerous examples of God’s people getting knocked down:

Moses has so much stress that he cries out for God’s help because the burden is too much

Elijah leaves the victory at Mt Carmel and is threatened by the wicked queen Jezebel and runs away asking God to take his life

David sounds like a bi-polar man as he writes many psalms that expose his anxiety, fear and exhaustion

Jesus, our great shepherd was overwhelmed to the point of death and sweated drops of blood

Just because you may be overwhelmed doesn’t mean you are weak — It can be a place where God does His deepest work

2 Corinthians 1:9 “In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.”

We expect God to remove us from situations

He does’t always do that

He uses those situations to expose how much we need Him

As long as we believe we can handle it, we won’t call on Him

When we reach the end of our own strength we can call on Him and find that He is more than able!

Here is a simple truth that we need to realize: Life WILL give you more than you can handle. But, God has not abandoned you to take care of it all by yourself.

God Promises His Strength

So we can see that God never said that He would never give us more than we can handle.

What He does say is something that is even better.

He promises His presence and power when ours is not enough.

The apostle Paul recounts his thorn in the flesh in another section of 2 Corinthians 12.

This thorn was to keep him from becoming proud

It was a torment to him

He begged God to take it away - he begged three times

God did not take it away. His response to Paul is not something we are prepared to hear:

2 Corinthians 12:9 “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

God did not help Paul by saying something encouraging like:

Okay, Paul, I will take it away soon, just hang in there.

Hey Paul, You are stronger than you think.

Paul, my son, You can handle it. You got this!

God says I will be enough!

Does anyone know that God is enough?

Can I just tell you this morning that the statement “God will never give you more than you can handle” loses all its credibility. It just isn't true.

But just because you can’t handle it doesn’t make God disappointed in you. He doesn’t say “You just don’t measure up to my expectations.”

No, not at all. God never intended you to handle life all on your own.

Paul recognized this. Listen to what he confesses:

2 Corinthians 12:10 “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Paul is not saying he enjoyed the pain, he learned where his strength really came from

God’s power works through weakness

You do not have to walk around claiming everything is okay if it isn’t

You do not have to perform for God

You dont have to clean yourself up to come to Him

If you are tired, weak, exhausted, beat down, and don’t know which way is up, you can just come to Him

He doesn’t promise to make you stronger — He promises that He will be strong for you

God Uses Overwhelming Situations to Teach Us Dependence

There is a quiet danger in phrases like the one we have been looking at today. Statements like this train us.

I once had a wise supervisor, a high ranking official in the company I worked for. He used to say that you are always training. You are either training people to do what you want them to do or training them to do what you don’t want them to do.

Our statement trains people to be independent. While that may sound good, it is not what God wants for you. He wants you to be DEPENDENT. Dependent on Him that is!

When I feel like I am supposed to handle everything and then need help, I feel like a failure. I feel ashamed because I can’t handle it.

God taught me this valuable lesson in November of 2021. Actually He revealed to me something very important from something that happened to me around 1988.

I recalled a time as a young Marine being in the Northern Training Area (NTA) of Okinawa. We spent time in the field setting up jungle patrols, rappelling off the side of hills, and much other combat training. One day we were on a forced march for what seemed like 20 miles, and we hit a slope. That thing had to be 45 degrees up the side of a mountain. As we trudged up the hill, I began to feel the weight of all the gear I was toting. I leaned forward and dug my heels into the ground with every step hoping to make it to the top. You see, there is nothing but ridicule and shame for anyone who falls behind. That day, my platoon sergeant looked at me, knowing that I was about to fall out, and said, “hand me your pack.” I did not want to give him my pack; after all, he had his own pack to carry, but he insisted, and I was about to go down, so I relinquished the heavy load and made it up the mountain. I was embarrassed because I wasn’t as strong as I thought, and someone else had to help me out.

Here’s the deal. My platoon sergeant was more capable than I was, even if I thought I could make it, I was not going to without his help. He was very much needed, and I was grateful that he was there. The embarrassment went away, and I lived to talk about it another day. Pride could have stopped me, but it didn’t. Just like the platoon sergeant, God can handle way more than you or I can carry, and to be quite frank, we can’t carry anywhere near what He can.

Scripture points out the fact that we are not meant to handle life alone. It has always been God’s design for us to depend on Him.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “give us this day, our daily bread.”

Dependence on God, daily, is a part of discipleship.

We are reminded to depend on God:

Matthew 11:28–30 “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””

1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

When life gives you more than you can handle, God is not standing back looking at you disappointed.

He is there ready to help. He is prepared to give His strength and His grace. Our response should be to receive it.

After all, the goal of faith is not independence. It is intimacy.

Altar

If you are here in person or watching on line and you have not made a declaration to follow Jesus. That is the first step. God is wanting to meet your biggest need and He has done that by sending Jesus to be Savior. Repent of your sins, call of Jesus and He will save you.

The are people here who feel like the weight of the world is on them. You have tried your hardest to carry it on your own. Others look to you and expect you to hold it all together. But you know down deep in your heart where no one else can even see that it feels like it could all unravel at any moment. Everyone depends on you and you are about to break. You are the one right now that the Holy Spirit is wanting to relieve you of your pack. Come to Jesus, let Him be the one your dependent on. He is here right now ready to get you through.

He is faithful and will be your strength.