When you read my memoir, this will be the character building, funny part… I’m sure of it.

This has been quite the challenging several few days. I’d list it all out for you, but I promised God I would only dump it on my best friend, and be done with all that talking about my woes. Who else really wants to hear about it other than your best friend? And does she really want to start off her week hearing about it all? Well, she did, and that’s why she’s my best friend.

I’m sure you’ve had weeks like the last one has been for me. I’m not the only one who faces trials and struggles. I did reach the point where I made the mistake of saying, “Surely nothing else can happen now.”  You know you should never say that, right?

There’s kind of a dumb saying that just seems to keep floating around the world that says, “God won’t give us more than we can handle.” Really? How is that even biblical?

Jesus says, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Paul instructed the Galatians to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Where it gets a little tricky is here in 1 Corinthians 10:13… and where we might be going astray with thinking God won’t give us more than we can handle…

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

That verse clearly has to do with temptation to sin. Not burdens to bear. When we are tempted to sin, there is always a way out. We never have the excuse that we had no choice but to sin… God will always point to another solution. This verse addresses sin, not burden bearing.

There are plenty of times when we are called to bear the weight of burdens that we alone cannot bear. When those times come, we can run to Jesus when we are weary and carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders gets to be too much. Jesus will give us the rest we need to stand up under it. It is through His strength and might that we can carry the load that rests upon us. And thank God that we bear one another’s burdens.

So like I said, I called my friend this morning and asked… “Can you handle my stuff this morning? I know it’s early and it’s a Monday morning… but I promised God earlier this morning when we were talking about it all, if I could just tell you that I wouldn’t go around spoiling everyone’s day with my stuff…just yours.” And because she loves me and she knows that I will also bear her burdens when I need to, she said, “Of course. That’s why I am here.”

When I am burdened I find rest in Jesus. When the weight of all I carry gets too heavy, Jesus will not let me be moved. He will strengthen me with his righteous right hand. He will reach in and pull me out of the muck and the mire and set me up on high ground where I can gain a new perspective. And my precious friend carries a bit of the load with me. She listens, gives sound advice, loves on me, and most importantly and very key, she prays for me.

I’m still carrying everything I was before… but now the weight of it feels more manageable. I’m learning some great lessons right now, and if I ever do write my memoirs, this will definitely be some of those character building, funny parts that I will look back on and laugh about. Not today, mind you… but one day.