Sometimes Christians make a statement that isn’t necessarily true in the way they apply it. The saying goes like this, ”God does not give us more than what we can handle.”
The saying is based off of 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
It’s a powerful Scripture, but the saying that many Christians carry from it can disempower their walk. They become ill prepared for the stretching that will come into their lives.
“God doesn’t give you more than you can handle,” can subtly mean, “God doesn’t give you anything, that in the moment that will make you uncomfortable, or stretch you beyond what you think you can handle.”
God is Always Stretching Us
The reality is, God is always leading us into a journey that has in it more than we can handle. That is why we need Him.
God is always in the business of stretching you and calling you into arenas where you may feel that you are over your head and even underqualified. If you often feel like you have no idea how it will all work out or feel shocked that God is using you in ways that are beyond your natural training, you are probably in the right place.
That feeling of, “I can’t handle this” or “I have no idea how this is going to work out” pokes at how we see ourselves. It challenges what we rely on during times of battle and uncertainty.
It is also a place where fear seeks to invade.
God Qualifies the Unqualified
Every overcomer has to face this fear, the one that pokes at how unqualified you feel. Yet God is in the business of rebuilding what your foundation is–what you rely on as your source of strength and qualification.
God is constantly placing us in situations where we need to learn where we draw our strength from. We have to get firm in believing, “Who qualifies me to be here in the first place?”
God often puts His calling on those who are not exactly looking out for it. Those who are super ambitious can find themselves pushing their way into certain areas of calling. But I often find that the call of God lands on those who are simply surrendered to the Master’s work. They respond to God’s call and realize that this plan was His idea all along. They run in partnership with that call, knowing that God will supply His grace to accomplish the call.
Yet at the same time, it will challenge many areas of insecurity.
Man of Valor?
In the book of Judges, Gideon was certainly in no place to receive what was coming to him. An angel appeared and sat under a tree to deliver a call from the Lord. The message was a powerful one: “God is with you, you mighty man of valour.”
This declaration should have given Gideon strength and vision. The problem was that he was insecure and full of fear. Like you and I, Gideon was so aware of disqualifying thoughts, he didn’t see the opportunity that lay before him.
Gideon has an angel speak to him, an experience that is supernatural and special. And at the same time, he responds as though the angel was speaking about someone else.
The angel calls him, “man of valor.” He responds as a man of fear, doubt and insecurity.
Seeing You as You Are Becoming
Yet despite these inadequacies, God called Gideon forth by speaking to him not as he was, but as he would become, a man of bravery and courage. His name meant “he who casts down” and that is what God was seeking to pull forth in Gideon.
But he wouldn’t discover his potential until he said “yes” to the call that was place before him.
The good news is that, despite the fear and doubt, he stepped forward in response to the call. God used him mightily to bring triumph. He took a mere 300 men and brought panic and destruction upon the Midian army and watched and as their enemy fought and killed each other.
Because of Gideon’s great exploits, the land was at peace for forty years and he finished his life out in honor. I believe his message to you regarding dealing with fear could be: When God is with you, it pays to face your fears, even if you are wrestling with your qualifications the whole way through.
Changing Our Focus and Foundation
The moment the call of God hits our hearts, fear calls for our attention; to get our focus on our inadequacies and weaknesses, rather than celebrating the grace of God that qualifies us to partake in God’s eternal purposes.
giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Colossians 1:12 (NKJV Strong’s,)
The Father has qualified you and made this possible through His Son, Jesus. Yet the enemy wants you to get lost in what you think you can handle on your own. This limited viewpoint only empowers fear and keeps you from being aware of the heavenly backup that is behind your steps of faith.
Fear loses its power when you realize that you are empowered as sons to walk in what Jesus paid for. You are not only heirs with Christ, you are connected to all that the Father has. What a privilege!
The good news is that we learn this in the process of the journey. We discover who really empowers us and WHO qualifies us in the first place.
References:
- Judges 6-8
- Colossians 1
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