More than you can handle
God never gives you more than you can handle.
That is a lie.
God often gives us more than we can handle for the simple juxtaposition of His strength and our weakness. But it is rare that when we are sitting in the balance that we choose to lean into His strength without first attempting to handle it on our own.
God gives you more than you can handle. I promise.
Do not believe the lie that if you are spinning plates or holding marbles or jumping through hoops that God intends for you to handle it on your own. Do not believe the lie that everyone else has mastered what God has given them to hold and you are the only one falling short. Do not believe the lie that you end the day feeling overwhelmed about tomorrow while everyone else has checked off every “to-do.”
God will give you more than you can handle and when He does the only option is to throw up your hands in surrender. When you feel like the heartache, the temptation, the mountain or task is just too much – it usually is. Admitting that it is much bigger than you is the first step to experiencing freedom from the accomplishment.
This week I said to my supervisor, “Can you name out loud for me that this is a lot?” When she shook her head and said, “Yes, it’s a lot,” I felt so much freedom. Just the recognition that it was acceptable that I felt overwhelmed gave me peace that I was not expected to be able to hold it in my hands.
Not many things in life can be wrapped into a neat package with a bow, but our humanness still tries. We want to check off the accomplishment, complete the task and keep moving forward. But life is about living which means nothing is ever completed, we just keep showing up for tomorrow. Thankfully God promises us new mercies tomorrow for all of the things we weren’t able to handle today. And when tomorrow comes and we falter again, new mercies abound without end.
He will give you more than you can handle.
And in your willingness - in my willingness - to admit my humanness won’t be able to handle it, then God is glorified when His weakness is greater than all of our strength.
And in that there is freedom.
