Thursday, September 18, 2008

Did you really say that?

You know how people sometimes say things that they “think” are in the Bible, but they are really not? A couple of them that really annoy me are “God helps those who help themselves” (where is the dependence on God in that statement?) and the one that really bothers me is “God won’t give you more than you can bear.”

I recently finished a book by Nancy Ortberg called Looking For God . One of the chapters is titled “Could We Please Stop Talking Like This?” and basically she’s reflecting on things that Christians say that are either offensive to non-believers or things that we say that are not theologically or biblically correct.

I love what she says about “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” She says “For starters, the verse that is derived from, 1 Corinthians 10:13 is talking about temptations, not trials or suffering. Beyond that, the idea implies that as followers of Christ, we are protected from heavy doses of difficulty. That is simply not true. This idea gives the impression that people going through rough circumstances have missed the protective shield. Please protect me from that kind of love. Of course we are going to face hard things in life. Unbearable, unthinkable, inexplicable things. And the power and the presence of God will meet us in those things. Difficult circumstances require from us enormous amounts of courage and faith that often come only after we’ve pleaded, searched, wrestled, and waited. Not as the result of a mindless and inaccurate phrase. The way we talk matters. We need to think deeply about the theological implications of what we are saying and remember that God is not simply a useful tool to support our politics or our beliefs. He is not a pawn in our hands. He is not the parking lot fairy. He does not comfort grieving parents by telling them He knew they could handle it. God is the powerful center. For our soul and the souls of others, it is worth thinking before we speak. Talk matters. The way we speak and what we say paint a picture of God in our hearts and minds.”

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

People say that all the time and I just sit there because I don't want to correct them in front of others. I remember being taught that way of thinking when I was growing up in church and when I learned it was talking about temptation, not trials, it completely changed the meaning!
Gab and Micah look fabulous. I will continue to pray for his response to become more positive toward Gabriel and one will grow to love him and call him friend.
Loveyou
Pam

Anonymous said...

Oh my, This seems to be a theme for me these days. I want to hold my toung because so much of what comes out of our mouths is just not true, yet it permiates our everyday lives. Thank you for sharing this post - it takes me back to Scripture, and that is something on which I want to live and breath and speak.
-Martha

Amy D said...

Preach is sista! :)

(by the way...I'm wanting a new profile picture on your blog with baby Gab in it!!)
amy

Kecia said...

Amen! That's one of my pet peeves, too--God will give us more than we can bear so we will lean on Him! Thanks for sharing about Syd on my blog, too. It made me laugh. :)

Paula Womack said...

love the entry! love ya'll!

MMA Lady said...

YES! Scott and I were talking about this just the other day. The preacher at my mom and dad's church said the thing about God not giving you more than you can bear (he said "endure" instead of "bear," but same thing) and I told Scott how annoyed I was by it. It is misleading. THANKS for posting this!!!!