It’s easy for us to rejoice and lead faith-filled lives when everything is going well in our world. We just landed a major contract, our business is booming, we are being flooded with clients or orders, and feel like we have this whole “work/life balance” thing nailed down. When all is well, we can happily praise God for all that He does for us.

But what happens when things aren’t going so well, or when we feel we are dealing with more than we can handle? We will go through seasons where careers seem too difficult or impossible, and we struggle between juggling family/work/faith life. We may feel like we are barely hanging on, hardly making ends meet or may even feel like a fraud.

“God won’t give you more than you can handle” is a phrase we have all heard during times of difficulty. While these words are meant to be encouraging, they can often sound more like a taunt than a comfort. Even worse, we can be tempted to ignore our pain and feelings, and believe that we have to handle everything on our own.

The reality is sometimes you will be given more than you can handle.

"But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9 English Standard Version)

When we are really hurting, God can seem so far away. I encourage you not to lose faith. Sometimes we will be given too much, but His promise is in the midst of it. Sometimes we will have more than we can handle, because it's during this time that we learn to have faith in Him rather than in our own abilities.

We are human and at times will be emotional. It’s ok to feel like we can’t handle it, that we are losing control or want to give up. What’s important is that we realize sometimes we can’t make it on our own, we need God’s help. God never said He wouldn’t give us more than we can handle, and He is faithful to meet us in the mess and in the pain.

"Be strong and have strength of heart. Do not be afraid or shake with fear because of them. For the Lord your God is the One Who goes with you. He will be faithful to you. He will not leave you alone.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 New Life Version)

When we are feeling discouraged, hearing “God won’t give you more than you can handle” can cause us to feel like we are not measuring up and question our capabilities. We may start thinking that we aren’t cut out for entrepreneurship, shouldn’t be in our current career or that God made a mistake. I encourage you not to lose heart, no matter how you may be feeling, you are not a failure.

Sometimes our current career or position is a stepping stone to another, and we must patiently wait on God. Sometimes the business financials look red while waiting on His opportunities. When we become aware that life will give us more than we can handle and come to grips with this, we find a promise: His word tells us that His grace will see us thru because His power is shown when we are weak.

If you are in a season of difficulty or struggle, I encourage you not to lose faith or heart. We each have a different purpose and destiny, and our career paths will change in the process. Choosing to say "God, I can't figure this out, so I'm going to trust you" can give us comfort in spite of not knowing His plan. When life deals us more than we can handle, we can rest in the reality that God can handle it.

Scripture References:

Dealing With More Than You Can Handle