Basic Trope: A deity asks a mortal to do Their bidding, causing all sorts of mayhem and chaos in said mortal's life.
- Straight: Bob is an ordinary man, leading an ordinary life in Suburbia, with his wife Alice, their two children, and their dog. God appears to Bob one day, and tells him to move to a foreign country and take on a new job he's never done before.
- Exaggerated:
- In order to test Bob's faith, Bob's children become sick and die, and his wife leaves him for his best friend, and his dog runs away. Oh, and Bob develops a Soap Opera Disease, but is still expected to move to that foreign country and start over.
- Bob explicitly says no, but is forced to do it anyway.
- Downplayed: God's demands are nothing major, but they're recurrent and kinda annoying.
- Justified:
- Although it seems cruel, there's a bigger picture that God can understand, but Bob (with his mortal limitations) cannot.
- It's a Secret Test of Character. God wants to see if Bob will obey Him even when His orders don't seem to make any sense.
- Bob is a Cosmic Plaything.
- Inverted:
- Bob is living alone in a dingy little apartment, struggling to pay the bills and get a date. God intervenes in Bob's life, and within a week, Bob has a beautiful home, a vacation home on a private island, an attractive and perfect-for-him girlfriend, a high-paying job with a One Hour Workweek, and everything else he's ever wanted or could ever possibly want, all without having to lift a finger.
- Satan appears to Bob, and makes his life harder, such as by promising him riches in exchange for his soul.
- Subverted:
- God brings an opportunity into Bob's life, that would make his life easier and/or better, but it's on Bob to take it.
- God knows (as a result of his other plans), that the economy of the new country is about to kick into high gear and that the new job will be in very high demand. Following these instructions will result in Bob getting enough money to retire ten years early with a much nicer house and yard than he had in Suburbia, and put his children in position to meet their soulmates.
- Double Subverted: The opportunity makes Bob's life better, but harder. For example, he takes a new job, as instructed, which brings in more money, but means longer hours and less time with his family.
- Parodied:
- God takes control of Bob's hand and plays the "stop hitting yourself" game with him.
- Bob pretends to be the voice of God, telling Alice to do all sorts of wacky things.
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted:
- Bob is not approached by any gods, angels, demons, etc.
- God is not particularly pushy.
- Enforced: The writers have a pushy boss and want to take a stealthy jab.
- Lampshaded: "Now, I know it's not going to be easy, and it's not going to be fun, but I need you to trust Me and do as I say. Go online, and buy those plane tickets, then sell your house."
- Invoked: God calls Bob to do something that's difficult, and doesn't explain why, or how it's to be done.
- Exploited: God regularly uses mortals to do His dirty work, because He's too busy running the universe to do it Himself.
- Defied: Bob refuses the call. (This may or may not go well for him, Depending on the Writer.)
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
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