Tag Archives: grabbing onto things

The monkey trap

 

 

There is an old fable about how to catch a monkey where cherries in a jar, with a rope tied around it, are used to trap the animal. A wise old monkey will not fall for the trap, however a young immature monkey, tempted by the thought of possessing sweet cherries, would put his hand in the jar and grab as many cherries as possible.  But once he grabbed all the delights he could not pull his hand out of the jar because the opening was too narrow for the monkey’s fist AND the handful of cherries. Of course, the monkey COULD free himself by dropping the cherries and pull his hand out. But he won’t let go of his prized possession! So he remains captive, his hand in a jar, connected by a rope to the hunter. Hence the term “monkey trap” came to be used for any clever invention that would trap an unsuspecting and gullible victim.

 

We might look on the fable and think to ourselves, “What a foolish monkey! If only he had let go of the fruit, he could have been free.” But then, can’t you think of a time in your life when this story applied to you? The things we possess sometimes end up possessing us.

 

Now, this is not always the case. Possessions are not inherently evil. There is plenty of fruit to be had and enjoyed in life while remaining free. But the wise among us will recognize a ‘monkey trap’ and let go of the things that entrap us.

 

I remember a man who told me he would like to give a tithe to the church but he had this new boat he was making payments on  and that kept him from his commitment. Another said he would invest his money and give a big gift when he was old, instead of giving more humble gifts now to help alleviate present needs. Someone told me they wanted to go on a mission trip with us but they couldn’t afford it, yet they ate out regularly at restaurants and had an abundance of new fashionable clothes and crafty nick knacks.

 

I don’t use these examples to judge anyone; only to illustrate that when we pick up one thing, it often prevents us from picking up something far more valuable. After all, one can only hold on to so many things at once.

 

What are you holding onto? Look not just your possessions but also your attitudes toward others, your ‘right to be right’, your clinging to relationships that just won’t be yours. Be careful not to fall into the monkey trap. Let go of everything that enslaves you.

 

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1