In the realm of bad advice...
I've
said it and I've had it said to me; it's just not good counsel...
Especially for Bible folk...
Bad. I mean to tell you, it's bad!
"God
will not give you more than you can handle." -- Anonymous and everyone
YOU
will give you more than you can handle.
Sometimes, OTHERS will give you more than you can handle.
...SIDE NOTE: parents know this...
... .... our KIDS will give us more than we can handle!
SICKNESS
will give you more than you can handle.
LIFE will give you more than you can handle.
SIN HAS GIVEN you more than you could handle!
GOD will give you more than you can handle.
...but GOD did not give us the sin...
GOD
WILL give us work that is more than we handle.
GOD WILL give us a job bigger than we can handle.
Do
not ever let us blame sin or evil on Him, though.
But,
work, especially gospel labor, yes, He will give us more than we can handle.
The
thing is fairly simple...whether by sin or even when our good intentions lead
us into too much commitment ... whether our own hand has burdened us or whether
God's calling is burdening us...
God
will allow us to take on more than we can handle...
God will give us more than we can handle...
Because...well...um...it's simple: WE NEED HIM!
That
part about giving ourselves more than we can handle...yeah...don't
complain...you have free will, limited understanding and we live in the broken
world of our own making. We did (and do) this to ourselves! Let us be wise, and
responsible, and not blame God for things of our own making.
BUT...even
in that...EVEN IN THAT! God will not leave us alone! God will help us! God has
helped us through Jesus and God will continue to help ALL that will call on Him
through His Son!
In
gospel work, however, God WILL give us more than we can handle.
Look
at the testimony of these servants: "For we do not want you to be unaware,
brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly
burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt
that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on
ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly
peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver
us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our
behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many." (2
Corinthians 1:8-11 ESV)
"...utterly
burdened beyond our strength..."
"...despaired of life itself..."
"...we felt like we had received the sentence of death."
"But that was to make us rely not on ourselves..."
"...but on God..."
"You must also help..."
We
are made for communion with God and fellowship with one another. We are made to
be creatures of need.
We
need God.
We need each other.
We need God more, yes, but we do need each other.
So?
What do we do?
Jesus
said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV) "Finally, be strong in the Lord
and in the strength of his might." (Ephesians 6:10 ESV) "If one
member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice
together." (1 Corinthians 12:26 ESV) " Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who
comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who
are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted
by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we
share abundantly in comfort too." (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ESV)"
Love
God.
Love others.
Rely on God.
Realize our need for others.
God
--and ourselves-- will indeed give more than we can handle. But, we must not
think we are meant to bear it without God or apart from each other.
Be
blessed, dear friends.
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