There is a verse of Scripture that is quite often taken out of context and given an interpretation that is far removed from the intent of the writer, the Apostle Paul. It has caused much heartache and anxiety by many who have misunderstood the meaning of the verse. Read these words of Paul found in his correspondence with the Corinthians:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13, NKJV

Somehow, the entire meaning of this verse has been altered. The emphasis of the verse is on how we can victoriously face the temptation to commit sin. Paul says that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. In other words, those temptations that are most persuasive, most powerful, most enticing to me – no matter how overwhelming they may seem to be at the moment of temptation – can be defeated if I act out of God’s strength and grace. I can say no to temptation!

Sadly, however, many change the emphasis of this verse away from the temptation to sin and place it on the belief that God will never allow His children to suffer more than we are able to withstand. Have you ever felt as if you had too much to bear? All sorts of things come our way in life: things that we feel will destroy us, that we cannot possibly overcome. And this verse is often used as an encouraging word from God that He will never give us more than we can bear.

But that is NOT what this verse is about. As a matter of fact, there are other verses of Scripture that make it clear that this verse cannot possibly have that meaning. For a clear example from the life of the man who wrote this verse, read the following excerpt from his second letter to the Corinthians.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us.

2 Corinthians 1:8-10

Paul asserts that he “despaired even of life” due to the extreme nature of his suffering. I would also encourage you to read his word of personal testimony found in Second Corinthians 11:22-33, in which he gives a list of his personal bouts with extreme suffering. It is obvious that God did indeed deliver him through all of these experiences, but please note that he was not delivered from them.

If we buy into the belief that Paul’s statement in the verse quoted at the beginning of this post means that God will protect His children from suffering, then we are opening ourselves up to question the goodness of God when He allows us to suffer. The Bible’s perspective on this is in stark contrast to that commonly held belief. We are taught in Scripture that we are to give God glory in the midst of our suffering. There are examples which teach this truth clearly.

Just a couple of examples will suffice to illustrate this point. First, in John 9 we have the story of a man who was born blind. The disciples ask Jesus whose sin caused this blindness – the man’s, or his parents. Jesus responded that the blindness was not the result of personal sin, but rather it was for the purpose of glorifying God. If we believe that God always provides an escape from suffering, then we have a huge problem with this story.

Another example is the Apostle Paul. In the passage I mentioned above – 2 Corinthians 11:22ff – Paul gives his readers insight into some of his struggles and suffering as he served the Lord. He, along with most of the other apostles, suffered greatly, and ultimately died as martyrs for their faith in Jesus Christ. Suffering was part of their experiences as Jesus’ servants.

Sometimes they were provided a means of escape, but ultimately, in the end, it resulted in their being executed for their faith in and faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus told His followers plainly that in this world we would have tribulation. There would be suffering in a plethora of ways. Disease and pestilence would be the common lot of humanity. The righteous suffer right along the unrighteous. And we are not promised that there will always be a way of escaping those episodes of suffering.

So how are we to respond when suffering becomes a personal experience? Simple: we are to glorify God in the midst of the suffering. We are to live our lives in such a way as to present the genuineness of our relationship with God. We are to let our lights shine before men so that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. We are to allow God to use us in our suffering to bring glory to the Father.

That is no easy task, to be sure. But by His grace, and in His strength, we can continue to shine for Him even in the darkest hours of suffering, trouble, and tribulation. And back to the question posed in the title of this post, we can take as much as He allows us to bear. Not by our own strength, as Paul himself testifies that he despaired even of life itself. But he learned that by the grace of God he could bear up under whatever came his way in life.

Let’s make it our personal commitment to allow the circumstances of life, no matter how painful, to be avenues of ministry to others as they see the grace of God being worked out in our experiences. We will then learn, as did the Apostle Paul, that God’s grace is indeed sufficient in all things.

Until next time:

Blessings!