Confronting The Lie: God Will Never Give You More Than You Can Bear

People always say "GOD will NEVER give you more than you can bear." If I hear that foolish cliche one more time, I will SCREAM. It absolutely is NOT Biblical. Somebody please refer me to the Scripture verse that states this. And PLEASE don't give me 1 Corinthians 10:13. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man" is certainly not the same thing. Temptation and trials are not one and the same... 

I've spent years of my life frustrated over this adage that some people live by. I do believe that God will give the more difficult battles to those who have a higher calling, but it has nothing to do with your own strength to bear the cross you have been given. If God didn't give us more than we can bear, WE WOULDN'T NEED HIM. I wouldn't need to pray, because I can bear my trials. I wouldn't need to ask God for intervention, because I can meet my own needs. I wouldn't need divine healing, because I can deal with my sickness on my own. Clearly there's something wrong here. 

We spend time trying to convince people that they can bear every trial that comes their way... so then if you're having trouble bearing your trial, it's YOUR fault. If depression comes along, it's a character flaw. When you get fed up or tired or agitated, it's YOUR lack of strength. After all, God wouldn't give you more than you can bear. You should be able to handle this, right?  

Let's see what Paul, unquestionably one of the greatest leaders of the early church, has to say on the topic: 

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 NIV
"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,"

Nowhere does Paul say, "We were overcome with our trial, but we knew that God would never give us more than we can bear, so we took heart and were encouraged." No! He and his fellow missionaries were so distraught by their situation that they wanted to DIE. They despaired of life and the cross they were given to bear at that moment. But this was so that they would learn not to rely on their own strength, but on GOD. 

God gives us more than we can bear so that we learn to trust in Him. We can't live this life on our own- and we don't have to. Lean on the everlasting arms... That's what they're there for. He wants to bear some of that burden for you. 

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”