The following is a list of Christian sayings that often get misquoted:

1.  “God will never give you anything you can’t handle.”

Many Christians will say that this quote comes from 1 Corinthians 10:13.  However, that verse ACTUALLY says: “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”  It doesn’t say we will never be given circumstances we can’t handle.  It says we will never be tempted beyond what we can handle.  The truth is, the Bible doesn’t promise that we will have an easy life.  Many of us will go through all kinds of pain and heartache.  There’s a big difference between suffering and temptation, however.  Suffering is not always a result of anything we choose, but we can ALWAYS choose a way out of temptation- and that is what God promises.  And let’s be honest with ourselves: It does NOT make people feel better by telling them “they can handle it because God said so.”  The bad news is- There are things I cannot handle on my own.  The good news is- There’s nothing that HE can’t handle when I give it to Him.

2.  “The center of God’s Will is the safest place to be!”

I believe this statement is absolutely true…. but only when used in the right context.  Most people use this quote as a way of saying “If you’re doing what God wants, you’ll be safe.”  The problem is, the “safe” they are referring to is the physical kind of safe, not the Spiritual kind.  It is estimated that 165,000 Christians die every YEAR for their faith.  Were they doing God’s Will?  You better believe it.  They weren’t safe physically, but as they stand before God, they were in the safest place they could possibly be.  What about the Apostle Paul?  Did someone forget to tell Paul how “safe” he was when he was getting beaten and flogged for the sake of Jesus?  What about most of the disciples who lost their lives for their faith?  Trust me, they were at the center of God’s Will- The safest place to be.  I would rather live a miserable earthly life but be in the center of God’s Will, than live a wonderful earthly life doing my own thing and then having to tremble with great fear as I stood before God on judgment day.  And here is why it’s so important not to get this quote all wrong:  Suppose you believe God will always protect you from harm in this life simply because you are living for Him…. What will your reaction be when inevitable harm comes your way?  Will you blame God for it?  Will you no longer believe in Him?  That’s a big deal.  God cares far more about your Spiritual needs than your physical needs.  Our physical needs may not always be met, but our Spiritual needs will- If we are living in His Will.

3.  “God only helps those who learn to help themselves.”

This is actually a quote from Benjamin Franklin, not from the Bible.  The Bible is actually full of teachings about how we can’t do anything to earn God’s love or God’s grace.  We have to rely completely on Him for those things.  God never said “once you help yourselves I will help you.”  Instead, He said: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  Not to mention the countless stories of Jesus caring for those who couldn’t care for themselves.  The truth is, I can’t do anything on my own.  He is the vine, I am the branch. If I want to produce fruit, I can only do it through Him (John 15), and not on my own.

4.  “God.”

Yes, even the name of God gets misquoted.  His name gets thrown around like it is no big deal.  Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”  This Bible verse hasn’t changed over time, even though it may seem like it based on how the majority of people throw His name around.   I encourage you to consider how you use the Name above all names.

These are only a few of the many examples of Bible verses and quotes that many Christians get all wrong.  The main issue here is that the majority of people simply believe everything they’ve grown up hearing, without doing any research about the topic.  I’m sure I am guilty of doing the same thing from time to time.  It is a very dangerous thing for ourselves and others if we try to teach about God by saying things that are never mentioned in the Bible.  By truly studying God’s Word, the end goal is not to have debates or make ourselves sound smart… The end goal is to lead people to their Creator in the best possible way.