We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)
We have all heard the Christian adage–”God will not give us more than we can endure.” Well, 2 Corinthians 1:8 argues against that thought. Paul says that he and his companions suffered such severe hardships and were under such great pressure in Asia that it was “far beyond our ability to endure.” No details are given of these events. But Paul says that in the midst of their trials that they “despaired even of life” and “in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.” Pretty severe. Paul felt physically threatened and was emotionally depressed and despairing. The pressure on his shoulders was too much to endure.
So why did God allow Paul–His chosen vessel–to go through such severe suffering and pressure? But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
God does sometimes give us more than we can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises that we won’t be tempted beyond what we are able to endure. God will always limit Satan’s activity in our lives and He will always provide a way of escape from the temptations of sin. But the Bible does not promise that God won’t at times put us in situations that feel overwhelming, that tax all our energy and strength, that bring us to the end of our ropes, so to speak. Indeed, the Bible seems to promise that God will bring us to these points at various times of our lives. Why? To teach us to rely on Him not ourselves. We cannot know God’s resurrection power if we are never in situations that feel like death.
To be honest, this is a little scarey to me. I don’t look forward to trials any more than anyone else. In fact, I try to avoid them as much as possible. But God sometimes puts me in the “pressure cooker” of life to burn away my pride and self-reliance and to teach me to rely solely on Him. I have a quote from Henry Kissinger that says, “A diamond is a chunk of coal that is made good under pressure.” It is only extreme pressure and heat (under the right circumstances) that turns coal into diamonds. This process is the same process God often uses in our lives.
Lord, help me to trust in You and rely upon You when the great pressures of life come my way.