Things NOT To Say (and things to say instead)
1. “God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle.” Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve read quite a bit about this phrase in my quest to articulate why it’s not helpful, and I finally found something explaining my sentiments. This guy said it better than I could, so I'll just quote him. “Many sufferers feel their suffering is beyond what they can bear. For these individuals, hearing the message “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” can communicate that they are not good enough or that something is wrong with their faith. This message that “God won’t give you more than you can handle” can also breed a self-focused and self-reliant way of thinking. The sufferers may feel they aren’t trying hard enough, or aren’t reading their Bibles thoroughly enough or aren’t praying fervently enough. They can experience guilt, shame, and doubt based on a misunderstanding of God’s Word. This unintended consequence of “God won’t give you more than you can handle” is antithetical to the gospel...