Life becomes a little hectic sometimes, and they come with the minor meltdowns and occasional tears. Other times, it’s a call to one of your closest friends or parents hoping that if you express your problems and your mile-long to-do list, you pray that someone can fix them. When you find that no one can help you but yourself, your anxiety runs high, your patience runs thin, and your energy runs out. This is when you think, “God, I can’t do this anymore. I don’t know what to do.”

Your life is overwhelming and the world is falling apart because you don’t know how you ended up with the three tests in one week, four papers due, work right after your attempt at homework, leadership duties for your extracurriculars, obtaining your volunteer hours, balancing your social life, and taking a stab at relaxing all in one day. It seems that there aren’t enough hours!

At this point you want someone to comfort you and say, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” Ironically, I get a little offended when people say this to me. I see it as more of a taunting phrase than comfort.

Think about it. Once you're down and you’re feeling like you can’t measure up to how life is happening, it makes you wonder, “If I’m supposed to be able to handle this, then why can’t I handle what life is throwing at me right now? Why do I feel so defeated?”

The honest truth: God never actually said he wasn't going to give you more than you can handle. You will feel like your drowning and you will feel like no one is there to help you.

The night before Jesus was executed, He cried out, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" (Matthew 26:38). He continued, "This is too much for me!" God is trying to tell us that in those moments when we feel like we can't handle what life is throwing at us, we may feel like we're about to give up. We have the opportunity to cry out that our souls are overwhelmed. But, when we do this, God-- the only one who has made the ultimate plan-- suffers with us.

No matter what weight the world puts on your shoulders, God will always meet you in the mess and the pain. He will meet you in the fear, anxiety, despair, and failures. When you learn to recognize the importance of you need to depend on Him, you can rest in the reality that God can handle it, and bring you a sense of calming. He gives everyone the feeling that they are able to handle it.

At the point of exhaustion and the moments in life where nothing is working and everything is completely out of whack, your struggles always lead to strength. Every difficulty experienced in your life, no matter how big or small, is an instance God formed to create more strength, faith, and perseverance in you...but only if you let Him in. All your pain, suffering, and hopelessness serves a purpose.

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Especially in those instances when life really hurts, God seems so far away. You feel like He has abandoned you when you needed Him the most. This is where you and I come in. We need each other to move past our obstacles. We need each other to move far ahead and keep going. When life becomes unmanageable, we need to walk alongside one another. When we do so, we are putting the flesh and bones on the person of Jesus Christ. If we support and love each other during the midst of suffering, we can help each other carry the weight of the world. Ultimately, we become the Body of Christ together.

Remember that your character will always be stronger than your circumstances. We will not always be able to control what happens to us, but we can always control how we respond. In those moments when you choose to stop complaining, stalling your problems, and instead give thanks to God for all the good things in your life, all the bad moments seem to be less significant. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)