When things go wrong, do you sing this song?

Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo; It’ll do magic believe it or not – bippity-boppity-boo!

Salagadoola means mechicka booleroo – But the thingmabob that does the job is – bippity-boppity-boo!

A bit of the Magic Song, sung by the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella which is my all time favorite fairy tale.  Don’t you just love the simplicity of the magic!  The “thingamabob that does the job” that fixes all of Cinderella’s woes in a sweep of a wand, then she is off to the ball and happy ever after.

When life gets tough, we wish that we could fix things in an instance so that things would be easier.  When bad things happen to us, we expect God to fix things for us quickly.  Our prayers sound something like the “thingamabob that does the job”……..

  • Please fix this God, I did not want this to happen.
  • Won’t this happen so that everything can go back to normal again.
  • Won’t you give me this so that it can just be easier?
  • Won’t you fix it so that I don’t have to deal with it?
  • Can’t this all just end, please let it all just end.  Please end it.
  • Won’t you change this, make this, do this …

We treat God like our fairy Godmother.

We want him to “bippity boppity boo” everything, so that, that which is ugly in our lives can be made beautiful, we can go to the ball, find what we need and live happy ever after.

This was a very hard lesson for me to accept.  All of us, at some moment of our lives, will want God to just fix things.

I remember a time when I was particularly low, moaning that life is not fair. One night watching a TV show with some Italian mafia mama, I heard her say in a thick accent : “Life is tough.  God didn’t promise that it was fair ‘cause to ask for something fair, is to ask for something special.  No one gets fair – LIFE IS NOT FAIR.”

So yes, life is not fair.  I can accept that.  However, I felt that I had been through many a tough time, and just this once, seeing as I had qualified so many times before in hard times, I wanted God to “bippity boppity boo” the whole thing so that I could move on.

This was the Lord’s word to me, from the Message in James 1:2 (markings and comments in brackets my own)

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith life is forced out into the open and shows its true colors. (I see the true colours of my faith, its quality, who I really am, what I really believe, being revealed to me and others in times of trouble.  Then not just God, but I know what they look like.)

So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely (stop asking for “bippity boppity boo”).  Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (We are called to grow spiritually and to mature, increasing in our ability to reflect the image of Christ in our lives, and give glory to God.)

Tough times reveal what we believe, they reveal God to us, and they mature our faith.  God always has a purpose and is working that purpose in me.  But if I continually ask for “bippity boppity boo” in order to be released from this process, then God cannot achieve His purposes in me.

Later in v12 of the same chapter:

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate.  For such person is loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

God in His love promises to be with us through all challenges.  He promises to walk with us through dark valleys.  His end goal is to reveal His love to us, so that we can fall in love with Him, “loyally in love.”  This is the reward in life, to know Him more.

God is not a “push-button” God, who you can call on for some magic.

There is no guarantee that you will be happy, that life will always be fair, and that you will never go through hard times.  However, His plans are much bigger than you could ever imagine. (1 Cor 2:9) His plans have life and more life. (John 10:10) Don’t opt out by asking for “bippity boppity boo.”

Father, help me to trust in Your love for me.  You are a good father and you have so much more planned for me, than I could ever imagine.  Help me to know and trust in this love You have for me, to persevere in all circumstances.  I confess, that with Your help, I will walk confidently through tough times, trusting that You are in control, that you love me and are working all things for my good, and Your glory.  Help me Father not to pray for release from my circumstances before I pray for courage and strength to submit to Your will for my life.  Help me to see and hear Your love and commit to a deeper relationship with You.

God Is Not With Me

Who Can You Count On

Love Most Excellent

God Loves Others More Than Me