More Than We Can Handle

Ya know, the Word says God won’t give us anymore than we can handle.

Well that’s the paraphrase most Christians tell others.
I’ve come to dislike that paraphrase, because it simply isn’t the truth.

The verse people miss quote actually says:

1 Corinthians 10:13 

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. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

This verse is talking about being tempted more than we can handle, not giving us more than we can handle.

When we are tempted, He will give us a way out so we can “handle” it. I wrote a post on temptations.  “How To Avoid Temptation”. Check it out if ya like.

Temptations are different than some of the life struggles we endure.

Temptations are things like spending money you don’t have, eating more food than you need, excessive gambling, sexual sin etc.

God’s Word says if we are tempted with these things God will give us a way out. Especially, if we ask for it and often times if we don’t ask for it. Most of the time we don’t even see it. It’s often very subtle.

He gives us more than we can handle on a daily basis. It’s what we DO when we’ve had enough that matters.

My Bad

For example, I’m a part-time caregiver to my mother. She’s an alcoholic. She’s a chronic smoker. She spends all day sitting at her computer desk playing solitaire. She barely eats and will only allow me to help her shower once a week. She sitting there wasting away.

The emotional toll of losing my dad, and watching my mother waste away by her own choices is horrific.
Combine that with daily life of work, caring for my home, my children, my husband and all of our animals, takes a toll on me.

So last February I quit my job of 10 years to stay home. After a few months I was offered the same type of job from someone else, but I would work from home. I thought maybe that would be something I could do.  It would be easier, because I would be at home still. After five months I’ve realize I just don’t have the emotional energy at all. I’m completely maxed.

What happens when I’ve reached my limit? I snap. I get angry and if I’m not careful my anger will turn into rage.
When I am rageful I throw things and/or I scream. Now to be honest, I have a very long fuse. It takes me a long time to get angry. Up until the last 3 years, after daddy died, I’ve been free from rage.

This last week I was working at home multitasking, and my work phone wasn’t functioning properly. It’s old and not all the functions work anyway.

I was waiting for a phone call, and it kept going to voicemail, but I’d never hear the phone ring. And because I have a short fuse right now, that last thing made me snap and I threw the phone on the floor.

Instantly I regretted that action for multiple reasons, but one of them is the phone didn’t belong to me. It belongs to the person I work for.

Obviously, I used my pay to buy a new phone for her, but that’s not the moral of this little story. The moral is that we often get more than we can handle. It’s what we do with it that matters.

How I Handled This

After this I knew I needed to do something to get past this bump without feeling hopeless and getting angry.  So for the next 2 days, I prayed.  Ya know when Paul says to pray without ceasing?  That kind of praying.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Every time I thought about how I was feeling or why I was feeling the way I felt, I would pray.  Driving in the car, taking a shower, cleaning the house.  All day.

I talked out loud to God.  I asked Him why.  I rebuked the enemy of rage.  I asked for Hope, Peace, and Joy anyway. I thanked him for the beautiful sunny day and the view of the mountain.  I kept asking for Him to help me be patient.  Let me tell you patience was necessary.  I had NONE!

By the morning of day three, I felt myself again.  Praise the LORD!!

In the comment section above or below this post tell me of a time where you found yourself praying with out ceasing.  How did that work for you?

Happy Fall Y’all

♥Sabrina