What has hold of me?

I have heard a story- I don't know if it's true or not- about a group of South American Natives who consider a certain species of monkey a delicacy. If the the story is to believed, the way these folks catch their quarry quite telling. It seems the natives trap the monkeys by setting out a hard clear plastic container tied to a tree with a piece of appetizing fruit inside. Upon finding the fruit the hapless monkey reachs into the container through a small opening and takes hold of it's prize. Ah, well theres the "catch"- You see, the opening the monkey reached through is only large enough to put an open extended hand through- A fist closed around it's prize can not be extracted. What the poor creature thinks it has hold of actually has hold of him- Self destruction is his end. Freedom only comes from letting go. So, here is the question- What has hold of me? What is it that I so want that it consumes my life-That I am not willing to let go of even with grave danger bearing down. Is it my desire for things? Is it my job? Is it some hobby? Is it my need for validation? Is it in thinking I would really be happy if I had "that guy's" life? Is it having my way? Is it momentary pleasure- Food, Pornography, Alcohol, Infatuations or Addictions? Each of us has something that seems good- that seems harmless- that we believe (whether we will admit to it or not) if we could just have this- our life would be good. Each of us has something we are reaching for or have hold of that actually has hold of us. John Eldredge calls these things "less wild lovers"- They are things that draw us away from the True Lover of our Souls- Jesus- the one who has won our freedom- who has come that we might have Life and have it at it's best. For many of us freedom comes not in escaping from some captivity, but in letting go of lesser things so that we can take hold of the life that is Real Life. Phillipians 3:12-14 But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus has taken hold of me.....,forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead I press on to win the prize for which God has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus. Father in Heaven, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, be powerful in me today to have eyes to see what lesser things have hold of me and courage to let those things go. Make my heart's desire be so consumed with You Lord Jesus that lesser things become as nothing compared to Life in You. Amen