“God will never give us more than we can handle.”
I have learned that this is not true. The world often gives me more than I can handle; that is why I have to turn to God.
And,
“We can safely turn our will and lives over to the care and protection of God.”
This, on the other hand, is true. It works, and I have seen and lived this fact.
Drinking is the best example of the truth of these two statements. For me, alcohol was much more than I could handle. I could not stop drinking once I had started, and I found it impossible to decide not to drink in the morning and follow through by not drinking that day. This deadly combination was beyond my control – I could not handle it. I had been given much more than I could handle.
But I found that I could safely and confidently turn my will and life over to the care of a power greater than myself. And in so doing, I was cared for and protected.
I saw the truth of this in two ways. First, by observing that many others who had suffered from the same reactions to booze as me, had recovered. Second, my personal experience of having the desire to drink lifted from me and discovering that I recoiled from the thought of drinking as I would recoil from a hot flame.
Since then, I have repeated this experience with issues other than drinking. I have learned that I can practice these principles in all my affairs. With anger, sex issues, pride and my deep sense of entitlement, life presented me with more than I could handle. As with alcohol, when I honestly confronted these issues and turned to my Higher Power, I was cared for and protected.
So, I am often given more than I can handle, and thank goodness that is the case, for then I turn to God.
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