You Can't Handle the Trial!

     It happened again! Just yesterday I had an opportunity to witness to someone who shared the old adage with me, "God never gives us more than we can handle."      

    This idea comes from a very loose recounting of 1 Corinthians 10:13. It just so happens that I recently memorized this verse with our men's accountability group at church:

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you to be tempted beyond your ability. But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it." 

     Three times the word temptation is used in that passage and the message is this: God always gives us a way out when temptation comes. Every time you chose sin, was a time you could have chosen victory. 

     So God never lets us be TEMPTED beyond our ability, but He certainly allows us to be TRIED beyond our ability. In fact scripture makes us keenly aware that we are given more than we can handle:

• Noah was tasked with the responsibility of preserving life on earth with a coming doomsday. 
• Gideon was charged to defeat a formidable enemy with only 300 unarmed men. 
• James 1:2-4 says to rejoice in trials as God uses them to perfect us

In each of these circumstances, God is the one doing the work. Not Noah. Not Gideon. And not you. 

God DOES give us more than we can handle, so we'll recognize it's not more than HE can handle. 

                                           You can't handle the trial!

     The Christian life is all about giving up control. Even in response to 1 Corinthians 10:13 and temptation, the only way we can even spot the escape is because we are in Christ and submit ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit. But moments of trial are moments to remind us who our faith and reliance must remain upon, namely Jesus.