You never know what these events ur experiencing now could do to your future.
I hope i'm not too late in replying to this topic, but if i am...read up! this might help u in times of despair...it has certainly helped me.
Consider what you want to be when you graduate from University (as most Egyptians do). Consider the hardships that you might have to go through until you reach that career, and even when you reach that career. What do you see?
Whatever hardships you're going through now, think of how that experience can help you handle that situation when you reach it. Think of how you will handle the situation now, and how you will handle the situation in the future. What do you see?
Know that you are still a mold being shaped into a work of art. You can choose to shape yourself through your own two hands (yes...it WILL be hard!) and think of how you will look like when God shapes you. Now envision what each sculpture will look like in the end. What do you see?
If you answered anything other than God for all the above questions, you need to spend some time reassessing yourself. You need to focus on your relationship with God and how He can help you get through this problem. He WILL help you. He WILL guide you. He WILL support you. You've just been temporarily blinded by some mud of doubt on your way to God. Don't let that mud get into your eyes permenantley, or you'll fall off a cliff.
If you answered God for all the above, then you're on the right track. Stick to God, ask for His guidance. Don't let any problems get in your way between you and Him. Hold His hand firmly when you feel sad, and He will pick you up and carry you through your struggle.
Hope this helps. I thought i should share this because i know it's helped me through a lot.
[quote author=SuperMAN(BAM) link=topic=1302.msg21756#msg21756 date=1110242261] GOD NEVER GIVES US MORE THAN WE COULD HANDLE... he knows what you could handle and cant... and he gives you as you could handle. That's not true Superman.
God tested Job and it was MORE than job could handle. We know it was more than what he could handle because he prayed that God takes his life to end the nightmare he was in. He didnt sin against God, but he was in serious pain.
[quote author=Godislove260 link=topic=1302.msg100564#msg100564 date=1235746790] What is 'too much too handle'???
if someone is going through a time of despair because they lost faith in God, it doesn't mean that the problem they're in is too much to handle...
GB
I would agree with that statement GiL. It always seems a problem is "more than we can handle" and yet still we handle it.
I think the point of "it is more than we can handle" is achieved when one begs that his life ends to stop the pain. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Job did in fact ask God to take away his life, and he cursed the day he was born. He didn't curse God, and still believed in God. His friends were not at all compassionate towards him.
Actually, I just wanted to put something straight. I wasnt sure about Job, and I just found out something important:
JOB WAS PATIENT UNTIL THE END AND HE DID NOT ASK GOD TO TAKE HIS LIFE AWAY!! MY APOLOGIES. THE PERSON WHO ASKED GOD TO TAKE HIS LIFE AWAY WAS JONAH - (and that was because the tree withered).
So, back to the main question: why do we get more than we handle:
Well.. I don't know. But i just wanted to put that straight and let Fr Peter Farrington answer this!!
I am far from being able to answer most of the questions you might ask. I am still a work in progress, but perhaps God has chosen to use me in this priestly and pastoral ministry, which is so much more blessed than I deserve, because I have also experienced many times when it seemed to be 'too much'.
I will not describe all of the things I have had to deal with in my own life, but my own family has had to face money problems, health problems, tensions etc etc, even the prospect of my wife and a child dying or another child being severely handicapped. Indeed just three days before I was made a priest I was made redundant. In the British Orthodox Church many of our priests have to do some work because we are seeking to grow Churches of British converts and this takes time and needs tentmaker missionaries like St Paul.
I have learned a few lessons in these years.
Firstly, just because I do not have the resources at hand - spiritual and material - to do something for God it does not mean that I should despair. It is more likely that I have not understood or sought to understand God's will. Lets say I have put a lot of effort into designing an evangelistic leaflet to distribute to the neighbourhood and then there is no money to print them. I can either get upset that I cannot do what I think would be something good for God, or I can pray, 'Lord, you will provide all that we need to accomplish your will in your way and in your time. If it is your will that these leaflets be distributed now then provide the means we need. Otherwise your will be done'. Then we can just leave it in God's hands. And we can do what we understand to be always God's will - fast and pray. Perhaps we are knocked back in some other context where we have tried to serve God. But He always gives what we need when we need, not when we think we need it. There may be other lessons He wishes us to learn and other service He wishes us to perform right now.
Secondly, I have truly learned that the answer to all problems is prayer, prayer and fasting. I have faced many problems but when I have committed them earnestly to God I have seen changes take place. When I have allowed myself to despair, and fallen into sin, then I have seen situations get worse. How we choose to respond to situations changes them. If we pray then we invite God to enter into that situation, and He promises to do good to us. There is no situation however dire where we cannot bring God's presence by prayer. But we have to pray with our Lord Himself, 'Your will be done'. If we start telling God how a situation should turn out then it seems reasonable that God should say 'well you get on with it then'. When we pray we are saying, 'I can't do this on my own. I need Your strength and grace and loving presence'. As the Scriptures say, 2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. When we say we are strong in our own strength, then we discover that actually we are weak.
Thirdly, I have learned that situations are sent to us to chastise us, to test us, to help us to focus more on God. We pray every day in the Agpeya... I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bring forth more fruit.... We should be glad that God takes time to prune us rather than casting us away. The branch which is cast away is not pruned, it looks lush and full of life when it is first cast away but it is slowly dying inside. If we remain part of the vine then we must suffer the pain of being pruned but this is something which strengthens us and causes us to be even more fruitful.
I must say that despite the many trials I have faced God has not asked me to deal with more than I could handle because He has taught me that I can handle nothing on my own at all. Not even praying the Agpeya and being nice to my family. Even in the very smallest things I need God's grace. When we seek to allow God to give us the grace for these small things then we are more prepared for the greater challenges.
Let me say that when I first heard there might be some redundancies at work I prayed - 'not me' - and came up with lots of reasons why God's will should not include me being made redundant. Then I prayed - 'not any of us' - as I started to think of the others I work(ed) with. But finally I looked at the worse that could happen and realised that my (ex)boss could do nothing to hurt me without God allowing it. The worse he could do was sack me. And God could take care of me in such a situation. So when I saw him coming towards me, and he asked me to have a chat with him, I heard very clearly the voice of God within me saying, 'Do not be afraid, I am with you'.
I do not know clearly what the future holds for me, but 'I know who holds the future'. If we have faith then we can cope with all of the things that come our way. But faith, which is a personal trust in a Divine Person, requires practice and exercise. Now is the time for us to seek to strengthen our faith. While the challenges are less intimidating we can ask God for His grace and give thanks when it is given. God never asks us to do cope with more than we can handle, but if we have only a little experience of calling on God then our faith will be weak, and we will be more likely to be filled with fear. The one who has proved God in many experiences does not fear, even when the situation is almost beyond human endurance. He is able to say, 'If it is possible then let this cup pass from me, yet not my will but thine be done'.
May God bless us all as we face all manner of challenges with faith. I don't know if any of this will help anyone, but it is my experience of God, who choses the weak things of this world, including myself, to manifest his strength.
I do not know clearly what the future holds for me, but 'I know who holds the future'.
I like that a lot, we need to trust that indeed nothing can happen at all without God knowing and allowing it to happen, and Who better to be in control than God Almighty Who knows everything about us and knows exactly what we need?
If we could just trust Him, just have faith, we will see great things... (I say this to myself before anyone else...)
Once HH Pope Shenouda III wrote: When, O Lord, will I finally learn not to meddle with that which is none of my business? When will I finally stop trying to run my own life and leave it up to you? (or something along those lines)
and also, a wisdom the muslims say: 'Lan yoseebana ella ma katabaho Allah lana' 'Nothing will touch us unless that which God has meant for us'
Comments
I hope i'm not too late in replying to this topic, but if i am...read up! this might help u in times of despair...it has certainly helped me.
Consider what you want to be when you graduate from University (as most Egyptians do). Consider the hardships that you might have to go through until you reach that career, and even when you reach that career. What do you see?
Whatever hardships you're going through now, think of how that experience can help you handle that situation when you reach it. Think of how you will handle the situation now, and how you will handle the situation in the future. What do you see?
Know that you are still a mold being shaped into a work of art. You can choose to shape yourself through your own two hands (yes...it WILL be hard!) and think of how you will look like when God shapes you. Now envision what each sculpture will look like in the end. What do you see?
If you answered anything other than God for all the above questions, you need to spend some time reassessing yourself. You need to focus on your relationship with God and how He can help you get through this problem. He WILL help you. He WILL guide you. He WILL support you. You've just been temporarily blinded by some mud of doubt on your way to God. Don't let that mud get into your eyes permenantley, or you'll fall off a cliff.
If you answered God for all the above, then you're on the right track. Stick to God, ask for His guidance. Don't let any problems get in your way between you and Him. Hold His hand firmly when you feel sad, and He will pick you up and carry you through your struggle.
Hope this helps. I thought i should share this because i know it's helped me through a lot.
GOD NEVER GIVES US MORE THAN WE COULD HANDLE... he knows what you could handle and cant... and he gives you as you could handle.
That's not true Superman.
God tested Job and it was MORE than job could handle. We know it was more than what he could handle because he prayed that God takes his life to end the nightmare he was in. He didnt sin against God, but he was in serious pain.
if someone is going through a time of despair because they lost faith in God, it doesn't mean that the problem they're in is too much to handle...
GB
What is 'too much too handle'???
if someone is going through a time of despair because they lost faith in God, it doesn't mean that the problem they're in is too much to handle...
GB
I would agree with that statement GiL. It always seems a problem is "more than we can handle" and yet still we handle it.
I think the point of "it is more than we can handle" is achieved when one begs that his life ends to stop the pain. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Job did in fact ask God to take away his life, and he cursed the day he was born. He didn't curse God, and still believed in God. His friends were not at all compassionate towards him.
What do you think?
Actually, I just wanted to put something straight. I wasnt sure about Job, and I just found out something important:
JOB WAS PATIENT UNTIL THE END AND HE DID NOT ASK GOD TO TAKE HIS LIFE AWAY!! MY APOLOGIES.
THE PERSON WHO ASKED GOD TO TAKE HIS LIFE AWAY WAS JONAH - (and that was because the tree withered).
So, back to the main question: why do we get more than we handle:
Well.. I don't know. But i just wanted to put that straight and let Fr Peter Farrington answer this!!
I am far from being able to answer most of the questions you might ask. I am still a work in progress, but perhaps God has chosen to use me in this priestly and pastoral ministry, which is so much more blessed than I deserve, because I have also experienced many times when it seemed to be 'too much'.
I will not describe all of the things I have had to deal with in my own life, but my own family has had to face money problems, health problems, tensions etc etc, even the prospect of my wife and a child dying or another child being severely handicapped. Indeed just three days before I was made a priest I was made redundant. In the British Orthodox Church many of our priests have to do some work because we are seeking to grow Churches of British converts and this takes time and needs tentmaker missionaries like St Paul.
I have learned a few lessons in these years.
Firstly, just because I do not have the resources at hand - spiritual and material - to do something for God it does not mean that I should despair. It is more likely that I have not understood or sought to understand God's will. Lets say I have put a lot of effort into designing an evangelistic leaflet to distribute to the neighbourhood and then there is no money to print them. I can either get upset that I cannot do what I think would be something good for God, or I can pray, 'Lord, you will provide all that we need to accomplish your will in your way and in your time. If it is your will that these leaflets be distributed now then provide the means we need. Otherwise your will be done'. Then we can just leave it in God's hands. And we can do what we understand to be always God's will - fast and pray. Perhaps we are knocked back in some other context where we have tried to serve God. But He always gives what we need when we need, not when we think we need it. There may be other lessons He wishes us to learn and other service He wishes us to perform right now.
Secondly, I have truly learned that the answer to all problems is prayer, prayer and fasting. I have faced many problems but when I have committed them earnestly to God I have seen changes take place. When I have allowed myself to despair, and fallen into sin, then I have seen situations get worse. How we choose to respond to situations changes them. If we pray then we invite God to enter into that situation, and He promises to do good to us. There is no situation however dire where we cannot bring God's presence by prayer. But we have to pray with our Lord Himself, 'Your will be done'. If we start telling God how a situation should turn out then it seems reasonable that God should say 'well you get on with it then'. When we pray we are saying, 'I can't do this on my own. I need Your strength and grace and loving presence'. As the Scriptures say, 2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. When we say we are strong in our own strength, then we discover that actually we are weak.
Thirdly, I have learned that situations are sent to us to chastise us, to test us, to help us to focus more on God. We pray every day in the Agpeya... I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bring forth more fruit.... We should be glad that God takes time to prune us rather than casting us away. The branch which is cast away is not pruned, it looks lush and full of life when it is first cast away but it is slowly dying inside. If we remain part of the vine then we must suffer the pain of being pruned but this is something which strengthens us and causes us to be even more fruitful.
I must say that despite the many trials I have faced God has not asked me to deal with more than I could handle because He has taught me that I can handle nothing on my own at all. Not even praying the Agpeya and being nice to my family. Even in the very smallest things I need God's grace. When we seek to allow God to give us the grace for these small things then we are more prepared for the greater challenges.
Let me say that when I first heard there might be some redundancies at work I prayed - 'not me' - and came up with lots of reasons why God's will should not include me being made redundant. Then I prayed - 'not any of us' - as I started to think of the others I work(ed) with. But finally I looked at the worse that could happen and realised that my (ex)boss could do nothing to hurt me without God allowing it. The worse he could do was sack me. And God could take care of me in such a situation. So when I saw him coming towards me, and he asked me to have a chat with him, I heard very clearly the voice of God within me saying, 'Do not be afraid, I am with you'.
I do not know clearly what the future holds for me, but 'I know who holds the future'. If we have faith then we can cope with all of the things that come our way. But faith, which is a personal trust in a Divine Person, requires practice and exercise. Now is the time for us to seek to strengthen our faith. While the challenges are less intimidating we can ask God for His grace and give thanks when it is given. God never asks us to do cope with more than we can handle, but if we have only a little experience of calling on God then our faith will be weak, and we will be more likely to be filled with fear. The one who has proved God in many experiences does not fear, even when the situation is almost beyond human endurance. He is able to say, 'If it is possible then let this cup pass from me, yet not my will but thine be done'.
May God bless us all as we face all manner of challenges with faith. I don't know if any of this will help anyone, but it is my experience of God, who choses the weak things of this world, including myself, to manifest his strength.
Father Peter
I do not know clearly what the future holds for me, but 'I know who holds the future'.
I like that a lot, we need to trust that indeed nothing can happen at all without God knowing and allowing it to happen, and Who better to be in control than God Almighty Who knows everything about us and knows exactly what we need?
If we could just trust Him, just have faith, we will see great things...
(I say this to myself before anyone else...)
Once HH Pope Shenouda III wrote: When, O Lord, will I finally learn not to meddle with that which is none of my business? When will I finally stop trying to run my own life and leave it up to you?
(or something along those lines)
and also, a wisdom the muslims say: 'Lan yoseebana ella ma katabaho Allah lana'
'Nothing will touch us unless that which God has meant for us'
God Bless
Please pray for my weakness