I receive many emails. At least half of them are what I call email “commercials.” They pretty much immediately go to my trash folder. Several months ago, I received one of those emails, and though it went to the trash folder, the subject line did give me something to think about—expectations versus desires. As we enter the unknown wonderland to be known as the year 2025, this week’s article will focus on desires.

Though we look toward the New Year, I am going back into the past to reflect on desires we can have that are not the best goals for our lives. I’m going to look at the medium that perhaps shaped public thought more than any other factor during the mid- to latter part of the twentieth century—television, what the Rev. William L. Mitchell, the pastor of my youth, called “The One-Eyed Monster.”

I’ll begin by considering the “genie in the bottle” or leprechaun syndrome. This seemed to begin with ancient fairy tales, when the “luck” of being granted three wishes by one of these supernatural beings led to disaster rather than fortune. (A wonderful read on this very subject is W. W. Jacobs’ short story The Monkey’s Paw. You can access the story online at www.sfu.ca/~swartz/monkeys_paw.htm.

The 1960s television sitcom I Dream of Jeannie revolved around an astronaut who found a bottle on a beach during one of his assignments. It turned out to have a beautiful female genie inside. Believe it or not, you can go online and buy a replica of this bottle. The actual prop bottle is in the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History.

It didn’t take Major Nelson (portrayed by Larry Hagman, who later starred as J. R. Ewing in Dallas) to discover that his “Jeannie” many times granted his wishes in ways that caused him an undue amount of trouble. However, all problems were solved in television’s glorious 30-minute time span per episode. It is noteworthy that the trouble Jeannie caused Major Nelson did not prevent him from marrying her late in the series.
There are those, like J. R. Ewing of the primetime soap opera Dallas, that are motivated by one thing—the quest for power. He had minor desires as well—women and wine, to name a couple. J. R. was ruthless—there was no law he wouldn’t break, no blackmail he wouldn’t try, no life he wouldn’t ruin—to use his quest for power to please Daddy Jock. J. R. was the villain America loved to hate.

While often hating J. R., there was always a predominate, underlying admiration for how J. R. was, without qualms, able to manipulate people to his intended means. Perhaps lots of fiercely faithful viewers secretly wished for the same ability to overcome their enemies and obstacles.

It wouldn’t seem that J. R. ever worried about love. There seemed to be only two people that J. R. loved, in the sense that most of us, Dear Reader, would understand the concept. J. R. loved his daddy and spent his life trying to earn his approval, even after his father’s death. The other person J. R. loved was himself.

J. R.’s character can be seen as a fulfillment of Scripture, as seen in 2 Timothy 3: 1-4 (KJV):

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Why was the American public in the late 1970s through the early 1990s so intrigued with such a scurrilous character? The series even made a brief comeback in 2012-2014.

Perhaps the series was so popular either because many people saw parts of themselves in J. R. or had a desire to be more like him. Dangerously, there are actually people who are like J. R. Ewing in real life. Usually, I believe we encounter some of these qualities in many people, rarely all of these qualities in one person. If we are not careful, Dear Reader, others might look at us and find those qualities that we most despise in others, if we don’t take proper care to guard our characters. May God forgive me for the times I have let my guard down and succumbed to such degradation.

While television was the nemesis of my generation, today’s youth has much greater access through social media and internet. This leads to the problem of young people learning too early what they do not need to know and for which they are not equipped to understand and handle properly. There is no more than ever greater potential for decay of the core values that shaped America’s basic values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

So, as we move forward into 2025, where do we go, and what do we look for? Again, the Scriptures provide guidance:

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. ― Matthew 6: 31-34 (KJV)

Dear Reader, as we enter into 2025, rather than looking for a “Jeannie” in a bottle, or wanting to be like J. R. Ewing, if we are to make any resolutions at all, let’s try to reflect the fruits of the Spirit as stated in Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Some of us are guilt-ridden by our failures of the past. Failures are mistakes from which we learn to improve our future by not repeating those mistakes. One of the mightiest figures in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul, had a past that included persecuting Christians and condoning murder. Yet, he was able to write in Philippians 3:13 (KJV):

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before

Happy New Year, Dear Reader. I look forward to sharing a few more thoughts with you as we work our way through the wonders and mysteries of 2025. At this same time next year, may you find yourself the best person you have ever been.

Answer to question of the week # 44:
A woman once said that the hardest part of becoming a married adult was doing something for her husband every single night for the rest of her life. What is it? (ANSWER: Fixing dinner for him. Hopefully, that is what he desired.)

Question of the week # 45:
What is older than its mother? (See next week’s article in historicunioncounty.com for the answer.)

Biblical thoughts about desire:

And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them,
If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. (Mark 9:35)

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)

The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. (Proverbs 19:22)

Questions to ask the teenagers in your life (if you’re brave enough):

How many kids, if any, do you think you might want some day?

Are you looking forward to being an adult?