WHAT ARE JUMPING MONKEYS?

Jumping monkeys are anything that distracts you from hearing the voice of God.

We all have a pack of jumping monkeys that are “ours.” Our jumping monkeys are bred by our boredom… they are filed by our FOMO.

They cause us to lose our concentration and focus They destroy our mindfulness. They distract us and detour us from what God has for us.

Ask yourself: What are my jumping monkeys? How do I feed my jumping monkeys by giving in to their distractions?

USE THESE STEPS TO HELP YOU TAME YOUR JUMPING MONKEYS

1. Acknowledge them.
Take every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:3; Rom. 12:2)

2. When the mind wanders, go back and start again.
Don’t engage the monkeys. Don’t reinforce their power. Remember: YOU own your mind, not them. Behavior that is reinforced/rewarded gets repeated. Just. Start. Again.

3. Talk to them.
Thank them for taking time out of their busy day to remind you of who you are because of Whose you are (a child of God, an image-bearer, redeemed, saved, a partaker in the divine nature… )

4. Breathe.
Breath in for four beats… hold your breath for four beats… breath our slowly for eight beats. Breathing in this way activates the parasympathetic nervous system and the vagus nerve.

The best way to still the voices of the jumping monkeys is to know the voice of God.

*Based on material from Dr. Gary Oliver, ThM, PhD