Is it true that “God won’t allow more to come on you than you can bear?”
This verse from the apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is often misquoted. Well meaning people misquote it to others when they see them grieving the loss of a loved one or suffering a severe illness. But this verse is not about the endurance of suffering. It is about temptation, and how to overcome it with God’s help. Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Paul was taking away the false notion that we have no choice but to give into temptation, or that our sin is somehow God’s fault. As James taught, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God;” for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:13-14). So, when we are tempted, rather than blaming God, we should trust Him to help us escape sin’s trap.
As for the first question, life often puts much more on us than we can bear, but at those times we can answer Christ’s invitation to “Come unto Me” (Matt. 11:28-30).