But It Sure Sounds Biblical...

But It Sure Sounds Biblical…

Which of these statements often attributed to the Bible is actually Scriptural?

·      Cleanliness is next to godliness

·      God helps those who help themselves

·      God will never give you more than you can handle

Yes, it’s a trick question.  None of them are Biblical, but perhaps the biggest surprise is that ‘God will never give us more than we can handle’ is not Biblical.  It’s actually the opposite of Biblical.

This mistaken belief may be based on a verse such as: 1 Corinthians 10:13a…No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. 

This is about temptation, but it seems to indicate God will not give us more temptation than we can handle so perhaps He won’t give us anything else we can’t handle.

But now add the context of the second half of the verse…

But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. I Corinthians 10:13b.

One more proof that God will let things into our lives that we can’t handle on our own with His goal being to drive us to Him.  This is from 1 Corinthians 1.

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death.

But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again.

On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.  2 Cor 1:8-11

Thankfully we don’t have to try to handle anything on our own.  Not only is God always accessible, but He is always pursuing us and always giving us access to His resurrection power for everything in life.  And if God is for us, who can be against us?  (Romans 8:31)