You Can't Handle It Alone

Yesterday I wrote about the reality that God does indeed give us more than we can handle. It is when he does that we learn faith. The thing is, there's more to it.

Paul writes this in his first letter to the church at Corinth,

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. (1 Corinthians 12:21-26 ESV)

Part of the reason that we are brought to a place where we can't handle it any more is for us to learn that we need others. Most people are always trying to be totally self-reliant. When you become a Christian you enter into something larger than yourself. You're part of the body of Christ. You're part of the Church. No one part of the body can say, "I have no need of you." Even more than that, "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."

No, you can't handle it. You can't handle it because God wants you to lean on others around you. God wants you to learn to be part of the community. God wants you to know your need for "the hand" or "the eye".

In Exodus 17 we see a moment where Moses was in over his head. He couldn't accomplish something alone, God had given him more than he could handle,

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. (Exodus 17:8-13 ESV)

Moses needed Aaron and Hur. So do you, so do I. We need people to hold our arms up. That's the point of community. No, you can't handle it. No you can't handle it alone.