Earlier this year, my friend asked me to help him move some furniture. The task seemed simple: remove his couch (with a pull out bed) from the bonus room upstairs. But when I felt how heavy the couch was, and knew I had to lead the way downstairs, I thought we were in over our heads! The uncertainty racing through my mind must have appeared on my face, for he said, “You’re good (slang for capable). You lift weights every day.” In other words, my friend trusted me to lead the way, for he knew I could handle the assignment.
Sometimes we act like I did earlier this year. We magnify the enormity of our circumstances and feel like they’re more than we can handle. If you’ve ever asked GOD why, requested leave from your trials, or been angered by HIS seemingly delayed response, then you know what I’m talking about. But Paul offers an invigorating reminder in the text cited above: GOD doesn’t allow trials above our limits. In other words, GOD won’t allow anything you can’t handle.
I heard an inspiring analogy that underscores this observation, so I’d like to share it with you. One of my favorite preachers explained it like this: we’re like fine tailored clothes, and trials are our spiritual irons. GOD applies heat to remove the wrinkles in our lives, but HE’S wise enough to read the label first. So if you’re overwhelmed in a trial, just remember that GOD read your “care instructions” first. Better, when the fire seems too intense, remember HIS hand is still on the iron!