A quote often attributed to Mother Teresa is, “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that he didn’t trust me so much.” It’s a clever line. But it’s not right.

What are your burdens today?

Is it your job? Your lack of a job? Your spouse? Your lack of a spouse? Is it crushing illness, relational landslides, or the ever-present, self-inflicted pains of bad decisions?

Why does God allow such burdens?

It’s a fair question. He knows everything and is all-powerful, so he could easily have prevented the problems. At the very least, we think, he could intervene and fix them. Why not? Why does God allow such weighty burdens in our lives?

How much can Jesus handle?

A quote often attributed to Mother Teresa is, “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that he didn’t trust me so much.” It’s a clever line. But it’s not right. He will in fact give you far more than you can handle. But here’s the key: he will never give you more than he can handle.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. . . . For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28, 30).

God allows us to receive burdens so that we can hand them right back to him.

How to weather a storm

Simply put, the burden is not ours to bear alone. A short story from Jesus illustrates this truth far better than a lengthy theological dissertation. Jesus said:

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (Matt. 7:24–27)

Notice what Jesus is saying here. Did one house get the harsh weather and not the other? No. Both got hit, but only one withstood the storm. What was the difference? One trusted Jesus enough to obey him. One did not.

God will never give you more than he can handle.

Come to Jesus, all who labor and are heavy laden. Hear the words of Scripture and obey them. Jesus will be our Rock, for there is only one Rock (Acts 4:12), and he is infinitely stronger than any storm.

The Bible on burdens

When you struggle with various burdens, read some of these verses and stories from Scripture, and think about how God intends us to deal with our burdens:

Verses

• “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Pet. 5:6–7)
• “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:5–6)
• “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6–7)
• “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4)

Stories

• Joseph’s burdens of family conflict (Genesis 37–50)
• The Israelites’ burdens of overwhelming oppression (Exodus 1)
• Moses’ burdens of overwhelming opposition (Exodus 2–15)
• Naomi’s burdens of despair and depression (Ruth)
• David’s burdens of failure (2 Samuel 13–18)
• Jesus’ burdens of antagonistic religious people (the Gospels)
• The burdens of the early Christians (Acts)