It has long been said that if one should come across a bottle or lamp in which a Genie has been imprisoned, then by simply rubbing the side of the aforementioned article the powerful spirit can be freed and- in view of services rendered- the Genie will be obliged to grant three wishes to the liberator.
This, of course, is utter nonsense.
One must ask oneself- why was the Genie imprisoned in the first place? And then- Having been freed, what possibly would convince this powerful creature to submit itself to the foolish wishes of the human? Before asking either of these questions, it would be prudent to ask- Do Genies even exist; and if so why on earth should a glass bottle or brass lamp be able to contain them?!
Putting these wise questions to one side, many children have asked themselves what 3 wishes they would have asked for in that situation. Doubtless many adults also have asked that same question.
If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for? *
*Please note: Genie’s do not allow “I’ll have a thousand more wishes, please.” as a wish.
Its telling, isn’t it.
Between 5-10 years ago, without a shadow of a doubt, my first wish would have been along the lines of “Please let me not have to attend another Games or PE lesson ever ever again.” Now that I am freed from the shackles of formal education and no longer can be forced to run around the football pitch and neighbouring famer’s field until my legs feel like lead and my heart is 10000 degrees centigrade, I see that wishing for no more PE lessons would have been foolish. After all, given time my wish came to pass without the requirement of freeing a powerful and probably deceitful Genie from its lawful confinement inside a coca-cola bottle.
As a Christian, my priorities have changed since those earlier days. Money, independence, a car, a house, a job, possessions: they don’t have quite the same sparkling lustre as they once did. Sure- they have their place. But can I live without them in such wild abundance as I have dreamed? Yes, I can. Paul wrote:
“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”Philippians 4:12
Having been given eternal life in replacement for God’s eternal wrath at his sins, Paul realised that having riches or mansions or food, actually paled into relative insignificance in comparison!
Its curious to note that Paul says “I have learned the secret of facing plenty….[and] abundance.” Most folks would say that there is no secret to be learned! We can all face having lots of cash- no problems! However Paul is suggesting here that, if they are our primary concern, then riches and wealth are a serious problem!
Why?
Because they distract us from our future requirements.
Do you remember my wish for no more PE? If I had been given 1 wish and had used it up asking for no more exercise then I would be feeling pretty stupid now that I have finished school (and I would be feeling pretty unhealthy too!). In a similar way, asking for more cash is really short-sighted. We have an entire eternity to spend either with God in Heaven, or without God in Hell. Surely that should be our main priority? And if, as Christians, we have already received the gift of eternal life then shouldn’t we want to be living lives that please our Saviour and that lead others to the wonderful truth about Jesus Christ? Surely that should be our main priority?
So does the Bible give Christians any hints? What should we actually wish for? After all, the Bible does say:
“You do not have, because you do not ask.”James 4:2
Interestingly the Bible does offer us some clues.
King Solomon, at the start of his reign, saw God in a dream:
“At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.””1 Kings 3:5
Solomon didn’t ask for a long life, a big Kingdom or lots of cash. He asked that God would give him wisdom. He asked that God would make him discerning so that he could understand what was good and what was bad. And the Bible records that God was pleased with Solomon’s request: instead of asking for longevity or possessions, the King had asked for something seriously beneficial.
It isn’t only the book of 1 Kings which encourages us to ask for wisdom. The whole book of Proverbs is basically falling over itself to tell us the same thing: Above all…get wisdom!
Imagine if every Christian was wise.
Imagine if every single believer was discerning between good and bad, discerning between useful and wasteful.
Its takes some doing, doesn’t it?! If I had wisdom; if I fully understood how much Christ sacrificed for me; if I fully understood how beneficial Bible reading and prayer is for my soul; if I fully grasped the wickedness and folly of my sin…. if I had wisdom then my life would be radically different.
You know, God is no genie. He doesn’t give grudgingly or because he ‘owes us one’. In fact…
““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened…
…Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”Matthew 7:7-11
It is fairly unlikely that I will ever encounter a Genie. It is doubtful that if I ever met a Genie I would free it from it’s bottle or lamp. It is astronomically unlikely that any Genie I freed would be willing or capable of giving me wisdom.
It is certain- without any shadow of doubt- that the Lord God loves to give wisdom to those who ask:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”James 1:5
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