Mythbusters: More than you can handle?

What is a myth? Dictionary.com says that it is, "a legendary story usually without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation." That is what we have been talking about for the last couple weeks at church. We have some distinctively christian myths lurking around that needed to be examined in the light of day.
The first one we looked at was the myth that God would never give you more than you could handle. As christians it is often given as an attempt at encouraging someone who is going through a hard time. I think it often fails at that. One of the scriptures associated with this legend is supposed to be 1 Corinthians 10:13. which is Pauls exortation to those who are being tempted by sin. In those situations, Paul is saying that God will never give you more than you can handle, but he will make a way out. In other words, God won't let you be tempted when there is no way for you to resist sinning. That makes much more sense than when we try to make it say God will never allow more suffering, pain or trials than we can handle.

The scriptures are full of people who appeared to have more than they could handle. The Biblical examples are numerous: Paul (2Cor 1:8); Moses (Num 11:13-15); Job; Elijah; Jeremiah; David and Jesus. Each of these people are recorded in the scriptures as hurting beyond what they could endure. Hurting to the point of breaking. It is God's ability to fix what is broken that is on display in each of their lives.

If someone in your past told you that God would never give you more than you could handle, there is a chance that some of you tried to burry the hurt or pain of having more on your plate than you could handle. There is a chance that some of you have never dealt correctly with that pain and it is hard for you too trust God any more because instead of growing you remain wounded.

The ideal response to the suffering is acceptance and trust. Jesus Christ modeled that for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. Ask yourself these questions to see if you have believed this myth.

1)God will often allow you to have more than you can handle. Where in your life do you need to say “or” instead of “and?”

2)What are you holding onto that you need to release to God?