Apples of Gold

“God won’t give you more than you can handle” has been a popular statement for as long as I can remember. It sounds nice but it doesn’t hold up to the standard of Scripture. A much more accurate statement would be: “God won’t give you more than He can handle”. I find myself frequently in situations that are bigger than me and I believe God wants it that way.

I’m sure you have heard it said that your strengths, taken to extremes, become your weaknesses. I have certainly found this statement to be true in my own life. I am a confessed completer. If you give me a list of things to accomplish I will knock it out in no time. This can be a beneficial trait when things need to get done. Being focused on the task at hand is a good thing, except when it is not. It is difficult for me to put down an unfinished task even to eat or sleep at times.

The Apostle Paul referred to one of his struggles as a thorn in his flesh and he wanted it gone:

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

That’s not how we tend to look at weakness. We consider it as a negative. God considers it as an opportunity to show His strength. My mom has told me that I was a bit of a stubborn child. She heard me say, “I can do it myself” more times than she could count. How often does God hear that same attitude from us? But those times when we acknowledge our weakness in an area, and our desperate need for God to take control, we make room for supernatural intervention.

Sometimes God wants us to step out of our comfort zone and be aware of our total dependence upon Him. Peter modeled this for us in Matthew chapter 14. The disciples are in the middle of the sea during a raging storm. They are terrified as Jesus approaches their boat walking on the water. Peter, in typical Peter fashion, asks Jesus if he should try walking on water too. Jesus tells him to come; and over the side he goes. Although we know it is not humanly possible to walk on water, Peter does. He continues to approach Jesus until he becomes distracted by the storm raging around him and as soon as his eyes leave the face of God he begins to sink.

Sometimes we forget that God is much more interested in our heart than our skill. Refrigerators proudly adorned with the unidentifiable scribbles of a toddler’s art work attest to our grasp on this concept. The picture is valuable to us not because of it’s amazing quality but because of our love for the artist. We are not expecting gallery quality work from a child and God isn’t expecting perfection from us but he is expecting obedience.

When it comes to being used of God we all have our comfort zones: the things we are used to doing and are pretty confident that we can pull it off. When is the last time you jumped over the side of the boat into a raging sea, simply because Jesus said, “Come”? We tend to stand in the shadows, hesitant to be used of God because we are concerned that he might not show up and do his part. With that mindset, we have a misunderstanding of the character of God.

God’s track record on faithfulness is spotless. Here are a few Scriptures to remind us:

Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. Joshua 21:45

Psalms 33:4- For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. Psalm 89:2.

Contrary to popular opinion, realizing that on our own we are not enough, is a healthy, realistic outlook. We need the touch of God in every area of our lives.