Monkeys

 

Henry Nouwen once described sitting down to pray as his mind being like a bunch of monkeys in a banana tree. His mind is filled with distractions that automatically steal his attention. We can try and drive them out. Good luck with that.

Instead let’s take a closer look at those monkeys. Jesus described those monkeys as the things we worry about.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? “

It turns out that He was right. When I sit down to pray, one of the monkeys in my mind can be making sure that I don’t forget to add some item to my grocery list.

“And why do you worry about clothes?”

 Right on again. I’m thinking about what clothes I need to change into for my next activity of the day. Or what pants or shirt I have been meaning to order online.

Maybe a trip to Costco can take care of my grocery and clothes monkeys in one shot.

Wait! Where was I? Oh yes, I was trying to pray. “Dear Jesus, …”

Oh, I forgot to get my morning coffee. I’ll be right back.

How do I get my mind back to what is important? How can I converse with God with all these monkeys hanging around?

Paul suggests “ We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Cor 10:4

Jesus continues, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

“And  See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

Faith has something to do with capturing those monkeys of food, drink and clothes. Faith that God can change what you see as important. A new way of looking at things. A real change. Not getting rid of them but putting them in perspective of what is important. Putting them in their cage and believing God will direct you to take care of it later.

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

Jesus then describes this process of real change.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Jesus announced that the kingdom of God had come and invited people to enter His kingdom and follow Him. In His kingdom we evaluate every monkey or worry as to how it fits into His kingdom. If it doesn't fit into His kingdom, capture it, lock it up and throw the key away. What Paul calls obedience. I can deal with those needs later or may come to see that I really don't need thing anyway.

Knowing which monkey fits in the kingdom and which does not is the hallmark of His kingdom, righteousness or doing the right thing. We have rid ourselves of the monkeys that are unrighteous. As for those righteous monkeys you can trust that God will give them a time and place to let their light shine and glorify the Father in heaven.

Gradually, taking captive our monkeys by believing God can take care of those needs we can focus our attention on a continual conversation with God