But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
I’m sure you’ve heard some variations of the phrase. Perhaps it was from a concerned friend who wanted to encourage you as you opened up about your stressful job. Maybe you overheard these words in church circles and adopted them as a go-to slogan for when times get tough. Or maybe, like me, you’ve heard people in leadership say these words with confidence when referring to their hectic schedules. “Yes, it’s a lot, but God will never give me more than I can handle.”
I confess, I initially took comfort in hearing these words. It didn’t matter that I was a burnt-out workaholic or that I struggled with setting proper boundaries. I could at least rest assured that God would somehow orchestrate every situation so I could withstand every difficulty or curveball that came my way. So, I put on a brave face and I tried to handle every challenge with confidence, maturity, and grace. And I failed colossally. I was thrust into impossible situations that left me feeling drained and helpless. It seemed like the more strength I tried to muster up—and the more I scrambled to maintain control—the weaker I felt. Something was not adding up.
So, I reconsidered the popular slogan and tested it against scripture. I thought of characters like Job, a “blameless and upright” man who lost everything, was afflicted with painful sores, and endured the agony of not sensing God’s presence at all. I thought of Paul, who was not only persecuted but also dealt with a thorn in the flesh—one he called “a messenger of Satan.” I thought of Hannah, who was barren for years and constantly provoked by her husband’s second wife, Peninnah, to the point of weeping. I could go on about the sufferings of Joseph, Moses, David, and Simon Peter. But just from these few examples, it became clear: God does give his people more than they can handle. Mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. And I think He does this on purpose.
I’ve endured enough to know that when I get to the end of myself, when I’m completely worn out and I have nothing left to give, I have no choice but to draw from the divine strength of my Savior. Paul hit the nail on the head when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 12: “God’s strength is made perfect in my weakness.” It took me a while to fully grasp what he meant because being weak made me feel like a failure. Through experience, though, God has taught me that self-reliance is not the end goal. He’s not looking for Christians to handle every single challenge or setback in their own strength. He’s looking to uproot pride and cultivate humble hearts. Through some of the most overwhelming situations, I’ve become more aware of my shortcomings. I realized how desperately I need Christ’s power to rest on me.
I can understand why well-meaning believers would use the phrase “God never gives us more than we can handle,” but I think it’s a dangerous tagline to throw around. Many tend to conflate this phrase with what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, which is that God “will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” In that verse, we learn that God allows certain tests where we are tempted to sin, but it’s never more than we can bear because He always provides a way of escape. This differs from what the first tagline conveys.
The phrasing suggests that God is giving you something—be it an extremely hard task or a challenge—with the expectation that you can deal with it. In other words, you’ve got this. Even amid hardship, you have the capacity, the ability, the strength to deal with whatever setbacks come your way. Quite frankly, I think this sets people up for disappointment because when they realize they can’t handle all the difficulties God permits, they’re likely to look inward and try harder, rather than look upward to their Helper, the true source of their strength.
I am so grateful that God allowed me to endure things that completely broke me. Otherwise, I would not have learned to depend on the one who anchors me. I would have completely missed out on what Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 12. Now, I can confidently say that God’s grace is indeed sufficient.
Nakeisha Campbell 