God Gives Us More than We Can Handle

Life challenges have often taxed me to the point of questioning if God is still there. Admittedly, I've often just wanted to throw in the towel and give up. Fatigue. Frustration. Sorrow. Discouragement. Disappointment. The list is long, and I could continue. Perhaps you can relate.

Many evenings, even though my home may be filled with people, I find myself feeling alone and desperate. There is a constant longing in the depths of my heart for love, for comfort, for fulfillment, for acceptance. It is a yearning to be loved for who I am, not what I can do. Though I love being a mom in a large family, sometimes it challenges my sense of worth. Often, days go by where I don't feel appreciated, or I feel guilty if I am not busy doing something for someone. Feelings of isolation and worthlessness rear their ugly head, and then it's a downward spiral from there.

Weariness from life's circumstances can bring a person to the end of their rope. Pretty soon, it happens. The needle falls below the "E" and the car comes to a complete halt. That's the moment I find myself with nothing left to give and no motivation to go on. In other words, I am at the end of me. I'm beginning to understand that that is not necessarily a bad thing. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

I've often heard it said that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. The verse people use to say God doesn't give us more than we can handle is from First Corinthians 10:13. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. When read in context, however, this verse is not talking about difficult life circumstances, but about temptation and sin. The promise is that God will provide a way out when we are tempted, not that there won't be difficulties in this life that bring us to the end of our abilities and humbly to the feet of the Father.

For years I felt there was something wrong with me, or that maybe God didn't like me very much. You see, He always gives me more than I can handle. Good thing, though, because that is the only way this independent and strong willed gal understands how truly needy she is. It is in this place of helplessness I finally admit that I need to be rescued, to be helped, to surrender my will to the will of the Father. It is in this state of desperation that I find Jesus beckoning me, wooing me to come to Him, waiting for me to yield my heart and surrender my abilities... to finally trade in my used up and worthless rags and be immersed in the garments of beauty and glory, made especially for me by my Rescuer. There is a place of rest and peace for those of us who carry the heavy burdens of life.

Yes, life is sometimes more than I can handle. You see, I NEED a Savior!