Don't Tempt Me

One of the most common things said to believers who are going through hard times is the somewhat cliched "God won't give you more than you can bear." While this is true, it's an admittedly incorrect paraphrase of the verse in James - "God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear." As another verse says, "God does not tempt anyone." While this statement may be a comfort to someone undergoing trial, it's implications are actually rather frightening on closer reflection.

Usually when we think "trial", we think "suffering". True enough; suffering does tempt us to try to find the quickest way out; as the Proverbs say, "Give me not poverty, lest I be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God". But riches are just as much of a snare, as the other half of that couplet says - "Give me not riches, lest I deny You", as if we obtained them apart from the hand of God. Are we really as keen to think of abundant blessing as a hindrance?

It's very easy for those of us for whom all is going well to look on those undergoing trial with a certain smugness. God must be giving them hard times and us good times because we've been more holy, hard working, wise, or whatever. He'll take care of them, ensuring they aren't tempted beyond what they can bear, but since I've been so good, He's giving me easier times instead. We all think, like Peter, that if God were to give me their trials, I'd could bear a lot more than they could.

That's where the verse in James really pinches-- what if abundant blessing is a proof of weakness rather than proof of strength? What if reason my trials are so small and our blessings so large because God knows that anything less than that would make me fall right on my face in no time? It's as frightening thought, really. It should make pray more for the strength that is in Christ, than the "please make such-and-such work out the way I want it to" that so easily sucks up much of prayer time.