Written by Dynamis Ministries | April 21, 2022
Not sure why anyone would ever need to trap a monkey, but it’s a lot easier than you might think. All you need is a coconut, a cord and some food. Fasten the cord to a tree and attach the opposite end to the coconut. Make a hole in the coconut that is just large enough for the monkey’s hand and fill the coconut with some tasty food. When the monkey comes around it will be able to squeeze its hand into the coconut to grasp the food, and just like that the monkey will be trapped!
Simple, right? You’re probably thinking, “But how?” This works because a monkey’s clenched grip is slightly larger than its open hand. When the monkey grabs the food inside the coconut, its hand becomes too big to take out, and with the coconut securely tied to a tree the monkey cannot get away. Unbeknownst to the monkey, it could easily escape the trap if it simply let go of its grip. Sadly, many of us are no smarter than the poor primate as we easily fall victim to the monkey trap in our own lives.
Like the monkey in this example, we too pursue things that we want and upon obtaining something tend to grip it and hold it more tightly than we should. This leaves us trapped because even if the thing we’re pursuing is a good thing, it’s not meant to control us that way. When we are controlled by such things and grip them too tightly, our generosity suffers. Outside of offering a fist bump, it’s nearly impossible to be generous with a clenched fist! Consider the person who is so attached to their money that when an opportunity arises to support something in a significant way, they forego the chance to be a blessing in order to keep their money secure in their account. Ultimately, a person that lives with a closed fist is not operating in a posture of generosity.
So how can we free ourselves from traps that keep us from living out our best generosity? Like the monkey, we simply need to let go. We need to let go of our over-attachment to money, possessions, status or even our schedule. Letting go starts by loosening our grip. This can be done by being open to how the things we hold can be used for other people’s benefits. It also happens when we’re willing to be flexible when opportunities arise, even if that means laying our plans aside.
Many blessings will come to us in return for living this way, with palms up in a spirit of openness. We’ll be less dependent on things for our own satisfaction and find greater purpose in helping others. Our faith will grow by experiencing how God continues to care for us. A little less focus will be on us and more focus on others, thereby increasing our joy. God’s love will be on display in fresh ways, leading to deeper relationships. And don’t miss this one – God will more easily be able to place the things in our hands that he wants us to have and to hold. And that is no trap!
Photo Credit: Engin Akyurt
