Disney’s animated Aladdin of 1992 may not have been one of the studio’s biggest blockbusters, but it did include some memorable lines from Robin William’s Genie character!
Lines like, “Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!”, “I can’t believe I’m losing to a rug.” and ”You ain’t never had a friend like me.”
But, my favorite line from that movie is,
“Phenomenal cosmic powers, itty bitty living space.”
Genie is making this statement because he, a being of such awesome power and such tremendous ability, lives in a small brass lamp.
Think of it! This powerful Genie, who has the power to grant wishes, lives in a small brass lamp! Not in the White House! Not in the Taj Mahal! Not in Elysee Palace! Not in Hearst Castle! Not in __________! You fill in the blank with the most beautiful, palatial residence that comes to mind!
Genie doesn’t live in a place of natural wonder either! Not in the Grand Canyon! Not in Angel Falls! Not in the Great Barrier Reef! Not in Ha Long Bay! Not in __________! Again, you fill in the blank!
Now, consider this scripture:
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6: 19, 20 NLT)
If you have been drawn by God, and made the decision, by faith, to become His child, God, the Holy Spirit, comes to live inside of you!
Whether you believe the Holy Spirit is as much God as God the Father and God the Son are God is not the discussion today. That, and how God comes to live in you, what it involves, how you can be sure, are all discussions I may take up another day.
Right now, what I do want to consider is how mind-boggling it is that God lives in me!
The God of the Universe, the Creator of everything, the One with infinite immeasurable unfathomable, presence, eternality, holiness, power, knowledge, understanding, goodness, sovereignty, and so many more qualities and characteristics, LIVES IN ME!
When I consider all that God was, and is, and will continue to be, in and of Himself, when I consider all “uncontainableness” of who God is, and then I consider all I am NOT in comparison, I realize I am the “itty bitty living space,” the small brass lamp of a real Being far greater than any imaginary Disney genie!
If you are a child of God, a follower of Jesus like I am, why don’t you take a moment to let that sink in? Be still for however long you think a moment is, and let your mind, but especially let your heart mull over the fact that YOU are the “itty bitty living space,” the small brass lamp of GOD.
I hope that thought does not just “whelm” you, but that thought, like a huge tidal wave, OVERWHELMS you! Overwhelms you to the point of silencing the “noise” around you enough to listen to God in you.
I know, too often in my own life, I get lost in the “noise” of living life. The “noise” is anything that interferes with, or distracts from, my listening to God, and takes my mind and heart away from paying attention to what God is doing in me and around me.
Sometimes the “noise” is sinful thoughts or sinful behaviors, but often the “noise” is plain old busyness. Busy-ness that I often think is glorifying God!
I get busy doing chores. I get busy doing things for my family. I get busy teaching volunteer classes. I get busy shopping. I get busy watching uplifting movies and TV shows. I even get busy by relaxing.
I can even get lost in the “noise” of the busyness of religious activities.
I get busy doing my daily Bible devotion. I get busy praying over my prayer list. I get busy reading through the Bible in a year. I get busy helping at church. I get busy serving the community in Jesus’ name.
In all these cases, I get can get lost in the “noise” of busyness, the busyness of pleasing myself and looking good to myself and to others.
All these “busy” activities, in and of themselves. are pretty good things to be doing. The problem comes from the motivation for busyness! Is it something done by me, for me, or is it done because the Holy Spirit is guiding me, instructing me, and directing me?
How much heartfelt thought am I giving to the Holy Spirit being in me? Am I being in a close relationship with the Holy Spirit in me? How much attention am I really giving to GOD the Holy Spirit in me?
I am a small brass lamp with the AWESOMENESS OF GOD in me. How much am I shining my small brass lamp for me? How much am I submitting to God in me so that His light is the light shining out of my small brass lamp?
And what about you?