Why do we treat God like a genie?
One of my favorite Disney movies while growing up was Aladdin – with a slew of timeless songs, the sweet romance between Aladdin and Jasmine, and the indefatigable genie, whose larger-than-life personality was aptly played by the late Robin Williams – the movie was the right mix of entertaining and aspirational.
And as a child, I found a certain allure in having a big, powerful blue guy ready to grant my wish, at the snap of his fingers. I wanted to be Aladdin, exploring a whole new world filled with the things I had always wanted.
But there were a few problems with the genie world;
For one thing, the Arabian Night stories are regarded as folklore. But more so, the genie did as he was asked. He granted these wishes without determining or even questioning if they were the right requests.
And I believe this is a crucial point.
Imagine if you had gotten the things 10-year-old you wanted, or even 22-year-old you?
It probably would have been a mess.
Yet, we continue to want this sort of life. A life where our wishes and heart’s desires are granted. A life where all we do is ‘to want something’ and expect to receive it.
You may scowl at this and perhaps, this is not how you live your life, if so, that’s amazing. But for the rest of us, we rosy-eyed Christians who allow the make-believe world infiltrate our reality, we may find that we are guilty of treating God like our very own genie.
While exploring this idea of our relationship with God, and the difference between how we think we treat God and how we actually do, these three instances came to mind.
Three ways we treat God like a genie
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We come to Him only when we want something
In the movie, Aladdin would rub the lamp whenever he was ready to make a wish and the genie would appear ready to grant one of the three big wishes. It was purely transactional. The genie was there to provide a service – the granting of Aladdin’s wishes – and not more was expected of him.
As Christians, we often remember to pray or even practice other Christian ‘rituals’ when we are in a bind and need God’s help. We make our faith walk transactional rather than focusing on building a relationship with our maker. The truth is that Christianity is not a one-off practice or a once-a-week event, its beauty and simplicity lies in making it the basis of our lifestyle. We miss out on so much when we come to God when we need a way out. Abiding in God is a forever thing, it is our means of allowing God to direct our life path. The Psalmist says:
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”
Psalm 91:1-2
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We expect our wishes and heart’s desires to be granted when and how we want them.
One of the things humans are known for is our impatience.
Our generation is aptly called the ‘microwave generation’ due to our insistence on having what we want now. This need for immediacy is not all bad as it has led to some technological advancements and innovations ( for example, money transfers now happen in seconds rather than days, and internet access and downloads are faster than ever before).
However, our need to have things ‘now’ often signals impatience and a lack of self-control. It often creates a sense of entitlement, where we believe that we not only deserve what we want but must have it when we want it.
We end up treating God like a cash machine – we feed it prayer and worship and expect instant answers.
Thank God we don’t get want we want simply because we ask for it.
You may not be happy to read this but have you ever considered what your life would have been like if you got the things you wanted? I know mine would have been a disaster.
One reason was that quite a few things I wanted were not borne from a place of wisdom and understanding but from self-interest and self-preservation. There were times when I wanted something simply because I felt like it, and we all know how transient our emotions can be.
As James says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:3(NKJV)
Thank God for His loving grace and mercies which look beyond what we want to what we need. He blesses us and provides for us despite our attitude and lack of wisdom.
- We go back to our lives – our sins, and proclivities – once we get what we want.
How many times have you gone to God for deliverance, provision, or protection only to go back to the things or lifestyle you needed help with?
If you’re anything like me then you have done this more times than you can count.
Perhaps for you, it was a lifestyle choice such as unhealthy addictions and vices, or a relationship you had no business in. You may have even made a commitment to change and make better decisions, yet, the allure of those same things continues to have a hold on you.
Our short attention span means we are quick to see what we want and forget how those choices caused us pain and heartache in the past. Like Samson, we go back to our Delilah, somehow believing that nothing untoward happened and things will be good from here on out.
And so the cycle continues.
Thank God that he doesn’t leave us in our mess, but is ever ready to shine His light into the dark corners of our lives. He also calls us to allow his grace and strength to change our lives for good.
Conclusion
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 2:10
I have learned that it is by God’s grace that we get to experience His goodness and favour. We do not deserve it neither are we entitled to it, but He continually bestows His children with good and perfect gifts.
It is terribly humbling to know that God created us for His purpose and pleasure, so we get to experience this one life as one of his children.
Ultimately, I am eternally grateful that our God is not a genie who grants whatever his ‘master’ wishes, but an all-seeing and all-powerful God who knows us better than we could ever know ourselves. He knows what we need before we even ask. Here is how our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ puts it:
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Matthew 6:31-33
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