God is Not a Genie

Frequently, I watch people who profess faith in God demonstrate a faith in something else. They pray for a fix, then get frustrated that the problem still exists at the end of the day. They pray for courage, yet stay in the corner. And my personal favorite: pray for happiness while pulling away from all they love.

God is not a genie. It has never been His prerogative to grant people their wish then send them on their merry way. God sees the beginning, middle and end all at once, hence He has a perspective we lack. Everyone agrees that patience is a good thing to have, but how will you learn patience if you never get frustrated? Everyone agrees compassion is a good thing to have, but how will you learn it if you never witness someone suffering? How can you learn to forgive if you are never betrayed?

Strength is not obtained by sitting still and hoping for it. Strength is achieved by pushing past our limit. This is true of both physical and spiritual attributes. Weight lifters pep-talk themselves through a lift. Runners push themselves through a run. Spiritual strength comes by the same process: we do what we should be doing while praying for the strength to do it. Not by sitting in a corner asking a genie to wave his magic wand so we don't have to struggle anymore. How can anyone ever get better at life if they never live it?

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9