Aladdin's Genie & God, Similarities #2-3

Question: Who is God? What is He like and what are some of His characteristics?

• What similarities do Genie and God have?

2) They Abide By Rules And Laws

After Genie displayed his power and showed off everything he could do, Aladdin then asks him, "You're gonna grant me any 3 wishes I want, right?" to which then Genie responds, in a more hesitant voice, "Uh, ah, almost. There are a few, uh, provisos. Ah, a couple of quid pro quo."  Genie then gives Aladdin three rules that he must abide by when it comes to granting wishes.

God has rules too, also known as laws and commandments.  These commandments that God gives to us teach how we should live our life's and things we should and should not do.  Although these commandments may seem restricting at times, they keep us safe. When you play a game by the rules, the rules are always in your favor.  When you do not follow them, the rules are no longer in your favor and now you are jeopardy for breaking them.  Genie could not break those rules went granting wishes because a bad consequence would come his way.  Aside from those things that he couldn't grant, Genie says, "Other than that, you got it!".  As Aladdin found out, there were many things he could wish for despite having those rules.  As it turns out for us, there are many things that we can do despite having rules, or commandments from God.  The rules are there to protect us and help our forgetful selves to realize what's truly important.

3) They Care About Our Lives, Well-Being, And Are Our Friends.

Throughout the movie of Aladdin, you see a deep bond of friendship develop between Aladdin and Genie.  This came about because both were humble men that cared about others.  Genie was a servant to whoever rubbed his lamp and was always there to grant just about any of the person's desired wishes.  Aladdin grew up as a street rat, along with his monkey Abu, always on the hunt for food and a place to sleep. 

You see the pinnacle of this friendship bloom when it came time for Aladdin's third wish.  Having lost his privilege of being a prince, that being a requirement to marry princess Jasmine, Genie knew giving Aladdin his third wish would place him back in servitude after granting it.  "But Genie, what about your freedom?" asked Aladdin.  Genie, in reply said, "Hey, it's only an eternity of servitude. This is love. Al, you're not gonna find another girl like her in a million years. Believe me, I know. I've looked." Despite knowing the price, he was willing to sacrifice for his friend's desires.

God showed His greatest love for us by giving us His son.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

The bond of friendship and care that Aladdin and Genie had for each other also exists between us and Our Heavenly Father.  To recognize this bond, God has given us the option to act and follow the commandments.  In addition to His great love, He will not force any person to do something they do not desire.  A part of the rules that Genie abided by was his servitude in the lamp. 

Had those rules not been in place though for Aladdin, that greater love that was developed when Aladdin choose to use his last wish to set Genie free rather then make him a prince again would not have taken place.  Thus, our ability to act and follow the commandments allow us to develop a love and become the children of God that we were destined to be - without them, we could achieve nothing worthile.  God's greatest love was manifested to us when His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, sacrificed his life for us that we could repent and return when we fall off the beaten path.