Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. – John 8:34
M
onkey Minds? Have you ever thought how you might catch yourself a monkey? Probably not! It is quite simple; something a novice trapper can do. You take some peanuts and put them into a jar. The top of the jar is just big enough for the monkey to slip his hand into.The monkey grabs the peanuts, but with a clinched fist, he is unable to get his hand out of the jar. He will not open his hand and let go of the peanuts in order to be freed from his predicament.
Sounds kind of crazy doesn’t it? But maybe sin is making
a “monkey mind” out of you in the same sort of way. We can easily slip our hand into the cookie jar of sin thinking we can escape with our prize pleasures. Too often, we hear the cry, “The devil made me do it!” But the Apostle James says, But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death (James 1:14-15).
You can blame the devil, the peanuts, and even the jar. However, the truth is that you were enticed by your own lusts to sin. Jesus warns us that if we commit sin, we will become the servants of sin. The wonderful news is that salvation not only sets us free from the condemnation of sin, but also from the bondage of sin. We are no longer servants of sin (Romans 6:17-18). Dear Christian, you can easily become entangled in sin again. Your sin nature wants you to put your hands in the jar. But you’ll not get them out as easily!
It makes no sense for the monkey to hold on to that jar, but what sins are you holding on to? How ridiculous, the devil laughs at our “monkey mind” because the trap is not the jar, it is we ourselves. Does it make any sense to hold on to the worldly pleasures, the hate, the bitterness, the dishonesty, the self-serving attitudes and selfish ways?
It is time to open your hand and release what you prize so much. The Bible is very clear, you cannot hold on to your sins and serve God. You cannot have the peanuts and also be free to serve and live for Christ. Do you really think that God will just miraculously deliver you, when in fact it is just a matter of you letting go? Remember, the devil looks for “monkey minds”. But we are to have the mind of Christ. Today, you must make the decision to let go! You will never regret it. Do you have the mind of Christ today?