This is a common saying that many Christians are familiar with: “God will not give you more than you can handle.” But where does this idea come from, and is it biblical? Let’s take a closer look at what the Bible really says.
The Origin of the Saying
The saying “God will not give you more than you can handle” does not originate from a specific verse in the Bible. In fact, there is no verse that expresses this sentiment verbatim. However, there are a few possible Bible passages that may relate to this idea:
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you 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.”
- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – “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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
- Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
So while the exact wording does not come from Scripture, some Christians have drawn this principle from passages that speak of God providing strength, help, and a “way out” in our trials and weaknesses. Now let’s look closer at what the Bible really says about enduring hardships.
God Allows Trials and Testing
While God promises to help us in our struggles, He does not promise that believers will never face more than they can handle. Quite the opposite – God allows His followers to go through trials and testing:
- James 1:2-4 – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
- Romans 5:3-4 – “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”
- 1 Peter 1:6-7 – “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
As these verses demonstrate, God allows His children to undergo trials and hardship in order to produce spiritual growth and maturity. He does not shield believers from ever facing more than they can handle on their own.
Examples of Overwhelming Trials
There are even examples in the Bible of faithful followers of God facing extreme trials that pushed them beyond their natural human limits:
- Job – After losing all his possessions, children, and health, Job struggled to cope (Job 1-3).
- Jeremiah – The weeping prophet cried out in distress and anguish of soul over the suffering of his people (Jer 8:18-9:2).
- Jonah – Overwhelmed by anger and frustration over God’s compassion, Jonah said it would be better for him to die (Jonah 4:3).
- Jesus – Knowing the suffering He was about to endure on the cross caused Jesus to be “deeply distressed and troubled” (Matt 26:37-38). He even asked if it was possible for the cup of suffering to be taken from Him, if God was willing (Luke 22:39-44).
- Paul – Besieged by a “thorn in the flesh,” Paul pleaded with God three times to take it away (2 Cor 12:7-10). God answered by telling Paul that His grace is sufficient and His power is perfected in weakness.
While God sustained all of these biblical figures in miraculous ways, it is clear that they experienced times of distress, anguish, weeping, and pleading when their trials felt unbearable and overwhelming. God allowed these servants to be tested and tried beyond their natural human limits.
Promises of God’s Help
Rather than promising that believers will never face more than they can handle, the Bible gives assurances that God will sustain, strengthen, and help His people in hardship:
- Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
- Psalm 55:22 – “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
- 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
- Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
God may allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear on our own, but He promises to be with us, strengthen us, help us, uphold us, and empower us by His grace. With God’s help, we can make it through even the most crushing trials.
Learning from Overwhelming Trials
When overwhelming trials come, we can respond in faith, knowing that God has allowed this for His greater purposes. Here are some things we can learn in these times:
- To rely fully on God
- That His grace is sufficient
- To persevere in hope
- To share in Christ’s sufferings
- To be refined and purified
- To comfort others with God’s comfort
With perseverance and perspective, we can see how even unbearable trials play a role in God’s loving and wise plan to conform us to the image of Christ (Rom 8:28-29). Though we may be tested beyond what we can handle, we are never tested beyond what God can handle as He walks with us and carries us through.
Trusting God’s Promises
Rather than expecting that Christians will never face more than they can bear, the Bible urges us to trust in God’s faithful promises to:
- Never leave or forsake us (Deut 31:6)
- Give us the power and strength to overcome trials (Isa 40:29-31)
- Impart wisdom and skill for life’s challenges (James 1:5)
- Work all things for our good (Rom 8:28)
- Use trials to refine us (Zech 13:9)
- Sustain us in affliction (Ps 46:1-3)
- Bring purpose out of pain (2 Cor 1:3-5)
Believers can have confidence that whatever overwhelming challenges come their way, God will use it for their spiritual growth and His glory. With His help and power, they can make it through by His grace at work within them.
Cautions About the Saying
While meant to be encouraging, there are a few cautions regarding the saying “God will not give you more than you can handle”:
- It’s not a promise found in Scripture
- It can imply that strong faith prevents adversity
- It can minimize the reality of real trauma and suffering
- It can discourage people from seeking help
- It puts the focus on our strength to endure, rather than God’s grace
This saying, while meant to inspire hope, should not be used to downplay the reality of devastating hardship that exceeds human limitations. Nor should it be used to shame those who struggle to cope and seek help in times of distress.
Overcoming Through God’s Power and Grace
The Bible makes it clear that followers of Christ will face trials, adversity, persecution, tribulation, distress, weakness, and suffering that push them beyond their natural human limits. But God gives His people the assurance that His grace will sustain them.
By God’s power at work within us, we can overcome life’s most overwhelming trials as we learn to rely fully on Him. He upholds us by His righteous right hand, sanctifies us through hardship, and conforms us to the image of Christ. We can have joy and hope in the midst of suffering, knowing that He promises to bring us victoriously through all that we face in this life. Our strength to endure comes from His life-giving Spirit within us.
When overwhelmed, may we turn to Him for grace and help. Though crushed inwardly, He renews us day by day. In our weakness, His power is perfected. God will equip us with all we need to not just survive but thrive for His glory.