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. 2 Corinthians 12:9
It’s a well-meaning encouragement: God will never give you more than you can handle. Except… it’s not true.
Like most snippets of internet theology found in the form of Instagram posts, this statement may seem like it comes from the Bible. God does say that He will always provide us with a “way of escape” when we’re tempted to do wrong (I Corinthians 10:13) but His desire for our lives is much more comprehensive than this. He says in the Bible book of 2 Corinthians, “‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.'” (2 Corinthians 12:9a).
One writer explains, “God is committed that his sons and daughters learn to live a supernatural life, drawn from supernatural resources. How will he teach us to do that? He will put us in circumstances that are far beyond our natural capabilities.”[1] Where our natural capability ends, His unlimited power begins. If you believed that God power was at work in your life, would you sleep better tonight?
God waits for the man or woman who will say, “I can’t God, but You can.” If you’re in a place where you have more than you can handle, you’re positioned perfectly. God is there with you, ready to lavish His grace—His unmerited, favor, on you. He’s ready to put His power to work in your life to show Himself and His glory through the circumstances of your life.
Paul, a follower of Jesus wrote, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Are you ready to ask God to work His way, in His power in your circumstance? When we are weak, He is strong.
[1] Eldridge, John. “The Hidden Life of God in You.” Get Your Life Back, Nelson Books, Nashville, TN, 2020, p. 177.
