They Say God Doesn't Give You More Than You Can Handle

This is a phrase that has become very popular in the past few years. I've seen Mother Teresa given credit for it, and maybe she did say it first. The rest of the line is "but I wish He didn't trust me so much." It sounds like, if she did say it, she was joking a little.

But as far as I can find, it isn't particularly biblical.

And I don't like it much, because I don't think it's exactly true.

First of all, it suggests that God gives us bad stuff to see if we can handle it.

He doesn't.

I'll be the first to tell you He allows bad stuff in our lives.

We live in a fallen world because we chose our own will over God's will, and that's the consequence of where we are in history. The Bible says it rains on the just and the unjust. All of us will get wet once in a while. There's been times I was sure I was drowning.

And God certainly does test His children. But that isn't to see how much you can handle, rather that is a test of your faith. Do you trust Him? Will you obey Him? And, if you fail the test, you get to take it again. And again. And again.

But God never tempts you. Temptation only comes from Satan. And when  you submit to the temptation old Satan is one happy camper.

Even if your get forgiveness and repent, that is, decide to turn away from whatever that temptation was and never do it again, there still are consequences. God rarely takes those away.

Of course you are going to have more than you can handle in your life. Probably more than once.

That's where God comes in.

He says He is strong where we are weak. He wants to work in us with our weakness so that when His strength prevails through us it glorifies Him.

That's why we are here, after all.

So next time you are in a place where you don't think you can handle it, think about turning to Your Father. He's always eager to lend a Hand.

Man's First Temptation

I read somewhere that man's first temptation was with food.

Hmmmm. That's right, although I'd never thought of it that way before.

Satan didn't even have to dangle double chocolate fudge brownies in front of Eve to get her to cave. He did it with a dumb old piece of fruit. Imagine what kinda shape we'd be in, ladies and gentlemen, if he'd had a brownie!

It seems we've struggled with our relationship with food ever since.

Sometimes there is not enough and people worry how they will feed their children, much less themselves.

Here, of course, there is way too much, and way too much of the bad kind.

But we are tempted. We eat it anyway. And we are a country of fatso slobs. I, myself, need to drop fifteen pounds. By drop, I mean make them disappear. With, like, you know, wishing.

We have more eating disorders than you can shake a stick at - and even those of us who do not have an eating disorder, think about, at least occasionally, how we really need to 'cut back' on some food or another. Most of us need to, want to, lose a few pounds.

Being physically disabled, I am unable to participate in a lot of exercise. Being from the South, I have a hard time not participating in anything fried.

But I am a much smarter eater than I used to be. I really don't eat many fried foods, I cook with olive oil, I eat a lot of raw green things. I don't eat as much bread as I used to, and I make my sandwiches with good old wheat bread and about  half the mayo I used to eat.

I've cut out 90% of soft drinks. Only rarely do I imbibe.

But, as Scarlett O'Hara is my witness, I will nevah, nevah, give up sweet tea!

Thank you, Lord, Satan ain't from the South!