“More Than You Can Handle? What the Bible Really Says About Trauma, Faith, and Breaking Down” From the Series: The Bible Doesn’t Say… By: Pastor Tony Beyer

Meta Description:

You’ve heard it before: “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” But what if that’s not

what scripture actually says? Explore the real meaning of 1 Corinthians 10 and 2 Corinthians 1,

and why collapse can be holy ground. A message of grace, honesty, and resurrection for

anyone barely holding on.

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● “God won’t give you more than you can handle”

● Bible verses about suffering

● what does the Bible say about trauma

● mental health and faith

● Christian response to grief

● progressive Christianity blog

● LGBTQ inclusive church

● breaking down in faith

● resurrection hope

● 1 Corinthians 10:13 explained

More Than You Can Handle? What the

Bible Really Says About Trauma, Faith,

and Breaking Down

� My Breaking Point: Rage in the Rubble

You’ve probably heard it. Maybe someone said it to you during a dark season:

“God won’t give you more than you can handle.”

It happened to me after losing someone I loved to suicide. We were shattered. And in the

middle of our grief, someone offered that familiar, tidy phrase—like it was supposed to make it

all okay.

I nodded politely. But inside I was raging.

“If this is what God thinks I can handle, then God has no idea who I am.”

I screamed that prayer into pillows, into the sky, into the floor at 2:00 a.m.

Because if faith can’t hold our actual suffering, what good is it?

What 1 Corinthians 10:13 Actually Says

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is

faithful. God won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your ability, but will also provide

a way out.”

This scripture is often misquoted in Christian circles as a comfort in times of suffering. But

context matters.

Paul isn’t talking about grief or trauma—he’s warning the self-righteous. The ones who think

they’re spiritually invincible.

He’s not speaking to:

● A grieving mother

● Someone battling addiction

● A trans youth rejected by family

● A gay man worn down by religious silence

This verse is about temptation, not trauma. And using it to minimize someone’s pain? That’s

spiritual malpractice.

�� Reflection Prompt

● Have you ever had this verse used against you?

● How would you rewrite it to reflect empathy rather than pressure?

Maybe we should stop saying, “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” and start

saying:

“God will never leave you when life becomes too much to handle.”

When Paul Himself Came Undone — 2 Corinthians 1:8–11

“We were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.”

Now this is Paul I can follow—not the preacher on a mission, but the human at the end of his

rope.

He doesn’t offer a spiritual fix-it kit. He doesn’t say, “But then I figured it out.”

He says, “We thought we were going to die… but God raised us anyway.”

This is not about self-reliance. It’s about surrender. About resurrection, not resilience.

�� Reflection Prompt

● Why do you think Paul shared his lowest moment so publicly?

● What does it teach you about real strength?

Paul ends with something even more vulnerable:

“You helped. You joined in helping us with your prayers.”

Maybe that’s the truth we need:

When life is more than we can bear, the church shows up with casseroles, tears, and love.

Faith, Identity, and Collapse — A Queer Christian’s

Confession

As a gay, cisgender man in the church, I’ve been told to “handle it” my whole life.

Handle exclusion.

Handle silence.

Handle being tolerated—but not fully loved.

And for a while, I tried.

Until I broke.

And in that breaking—God showed up.

In a friend who didn’t fix me, but sat next to me and said,

“You don’t have to handle this. I’ll stay with you in the dark.”

�� Reflection Prompt

● What have you been told to “handle” alone?

● Who showed up anyway?

What if this church could be the place where breaking down isn’t weakness—it’s sacred

honesty?

God Is in the Rubble: Resurrection Starts Here

Let me say this plainly:

If today feels like too much—

● You are not weak.

● You are not broken.

● You are not disappointing God.

You are standing on holy ground.

Resurrection doesn’t wait for your strength. It meets you in the rubble.

God is not in the bleachers cheering you on from a distance.

God is:

● In the hospital room

● In the voicemail you haven’t answered

● In the friend who texted, “I’m not going anywhere” at 11:47 p.m.

��️ A Blessing for the Broken

May you know:

● That collapse is not the end of your story

● That resurrection begins at rock bottom

● That you are not abandoned—by God or by us

You don’t have to rise today.

But resurrection is happening anyway—

And it doesn’t need your permission.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

�� You’re Not Alone—We Mean It.

If you're exhausted by religious clichés...

If you're longing for a church that makes room for grief, mental health, doubt, and LGBTQ+

people...

You’ve just found one.

We don’t promise easy answers.

But we promise to sit with you in the hard questions.

No pretending. No platitudes. Just presence.

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If you know someone struggling under the weight of “more than they can handle”—send them

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