[Editor's Note: This post was featured yesterday but was accidentally taken down due to a programming malfunction. Here it is again!]Christians mean well. Really we do. But as the saying goes: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Christian rhetoric is a funny thing. People who know the "lingo" can omit certain words and entire phrases without the meaning of the phrase being lost to other insiders. Consequently, outsiders who don't know the lingo pick up on abridged Bible verses, phrases and catchy rhymes without knowing the full meaning behind them.
One of the biggest examples of fallacious Christian rhetoric is the saying: "God will never put you through anything that you can't handle." This is the biggest lie told on the Christian God and it turns people away from the faith. Contrary to popular and erroneous opinion, God does allow us to experience things that we can't handle. But the real question is why?
Before I started exploring a personal relationship with God, I had completely false and incomplete notions of who He was. To me, God was distant and an uninvolved God. God was a Man who sat back and watched injustice take place without ever correcting it. As I've come to know God more intimately, I realize that this is in fact a lie. God and I agree that I didn't have to go through so many things. God and I agree that my life was far too difficult at certain points. God and I agree that certain events never should have taken place.
God allows us to experience intense trials and tribulations so that we come to know Him better. For example, I know God as my Provider because He keeps my bills paid. I pay my tithes and even though my income is lower than before, I seem to always have more than enough to pay every bill off. I know that God is a Redeemer and a Restorer because of the shattered parts of my life that He has put back together. I know that God is a Healer of the Broken Heart and a Comfort to the Lonely.
I only know these definitions of God because of my intense trials and tribulations that I've endured. There were times that I felt as if I couldn't even get out of bed from debilitating depression. There have been days that I have been plagued by fear and anxiety. I lost the weight to prove it too. The weight is packing back on because I've humbled myself and realized that God is in control.
For a majority of my 23 years, I have endured things that I can't handle. God has allowed those things to happen so that I call out to only Him for help. If God never allowed circumstances to overwhelm us, we would falsely believe that we were godlike. We would assume that we could handle life on our own. In sum, we wouldn't really need an all-powerful and all-knowing God.
People need to be careful when they say "God never puts you through anything that you can't handle." We should exchange this phrase for "God never puts us through anything that we can't handle without Him." The latter is the more accurate and complete truth about God. God absolutely tests our faith. He tests our hearts to see if we are truly devoted to Him. Expect that you will go through numerous trials that you can't handle without Him. Expect that He will show up on time and take the lead of the show.
Have you ever said that "God never puts you through anything that you can't handle?" Do you think differently about the phrase? How have you come to know God more deeply through your trials?
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Comments (16)
Well, define "handle". To me handling something is pretty much not dying of it. I mean, going on, no matter how painful, is handling something. So in that sense the only thing God gives us that we cannot handle is our physical death, but our hope for our soul to be with Him should give us comfort even in that. But since He is with us always, it's true that we are handling everything with Him.
I don't believe that phrase in general. I don't think God puts you though all things, I think some of the time the Devil does too. But I agree that the later phrase is more accurate. And because I can't seem to go to Him with the "trials and tribulations"... I don't seem to have gotten to know Him more deeply, to answer your second question.
I agree with you, I don't believe the phrase is true. It makes it sound like you aren't going to go through anything really tough which is definitely not the case, everyone has their battles. God is with you through everything and will help you through tough times if you let Him, but they won't just disappear or never happen. I had to learn this myself when I went through a miscarriage and felt God had turned His back on me. Totally not the case, He was there when I finally asked him for comfort. That is a very misleading statement Christians make.
"God never puts us through anything that we can't handle without Him."
Beautiful. <3
Good post :)
I like "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and if it does kill you its ok because you're going to Heaven". and "tough times build character..well God, just how much character do I need?"
Trusting Him with our impossible to solve problems is always exciting--in the end.
No temptation has seized you except what
is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide
a way out so that you can stand up under it.
"God allows us to experience intense trials and tribulations so that we come to know Him better."
hmmm well Ive failed miserably because things havent brought me closer to him at all.
@OsecretstormO@xanga - Hmm. I wonder why you've failed. Have you sought God wholeheartedly? Have you humbled yourself to realize that your definition of what is "good" or "right" may be incorrect? The human definition of the good and the godly definition of the good are totally different. Sometimes, the best things for us are hurtful and disappointing. Just a thought.
You're welcome to message me and talk about it more.
"God will never put you through anything that you can't handle." I definitely agree with that. Everything that your put through is something God puts you through because he knows it will make you a stronger person and that it won't completely "break you". I agree with what someone above said that handling things is not dying from it. I don't like your title. I think it's a little too .. opinionated for this subject. Why is it the "biggest lie"? Some people believe in this. Have you ever been put through something that was SO difficult that you just couldn't get through? God puts you through it so you grow and learn. It may be hard, but you learn.
@MrsCharlieBrown@xanga - I don't think she means that they won't ever happen. God will help you through everything, no matter what. He won't guide you up to an obstacle in your life and make it impossible to get through. It will be tough, there are things in life that are. But the outcome will always end up like it's supposed too, and like it's thought out by God.
I wonder why people make such assumptions about God, or assume that he micromanages every aspect of daily life.
the verse that the phrase is based upon, 1 Cor 10:13, says that God will not tempt you beyond what you are able, but will provide a way to escape. Given God is providing the way to escape, it should be implied that one will not be tempted beyond what they can handle WITH God.
This is actually a phrase that gives me a lot of hope. Whenever I am going through something that I don't think I can do I can stop and remember 'God wouldn't let this happen if he didn't know that you'll come out ok. Maybe it won't go the way you want it to, but in the end you will be alright.' With that in mind I can face my problem with certainty knowing I have someone stronger than anything in this world who has my back. God never promises an easy life, heck, he flat out tells us its gonna be hard, people are going to hate us, and some of it is going to be because of our faith in him. But he also promises to be with us when these times are hard. Because of that verse "he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" I can forget what I think is too hard and remember nothing is impossible with Christ.
I used to not like the idea that God tests our faith so that He can see whether we truly believe in him, but I realized after a bunch of drama last summer that it was probably exactly what he was doing, and I felt incredible once I realized that and found how truly devoted I am to Him. I don't think he puts every challenge in front of us just to test us, though. I think a lot of it is also that our plans and his aren't always identical, and sometimes we become dissatisfied with his plans, but then we learn that he had something better planned in the first place and everything turns out very much for the better.
Of course, there are some who can't accept that and purposfully turn away from God and/or decide to become atheist just to give themselves an excuse to be pissed off over things not going how they wanted. Those challenges are definitely a part of life, though, and I've seen first hand that keeping God with you in those times is of the utmost importance, because it can lead to things happening that are more wonderful than you could have ever imagined on your own!
It's ironic that you speak of "popular opinion" and then give no Scripture to defend what you are saying here which amounts to you giving us YOUR opinion. You make your experience and human logic the authority over Scripture which is frightfully dangerous.