How useless to spread a net in full view of the birds
This 17th verse from the first chapter in Proverbs captured my imagination this morning. I wanted to understand it more fully. What did this mean exactly?
In order to catch birds fowlers (persons occupied as bird catchers) spread their nets, in clear view of the birds, baiting the birds with corn and other types of bait. The birds can’t resist. Although they see the net the lure of the bait is overpowering. They fly to their ultimate captivity.
Made me think of the many times I saw “the net” in plain sight but focused on what I could get – my actions often ending in not so good outcomes.
It’s a human tendency to ignore the net especially when where we are feels uncomfortable. Rather than deal with the source of our discomfort and get to the root, we choose instead to detach, run away, leave, or migrate, falling right into the trap of our choices. The bait (the stories we tell ourselves or those told to us) about why the grass is greener, or it’s going to be different seduces us into action even though if we took a real look at where we were heading, we would clearly see that this was not our best choice.
Steven M. Darter, author of Managing Yourself, Managing Others says
I have found in my consulting that people often begin journeys by looking to GET AWAY from something. They know that the situations that they are in are uncomfortable and they want to relieve that discomfort.. In their attempts to get out of bad situations and into something new, their ability to evaluate options is skewed. Situations that might not otherwise look attractive seem to hold FAR MORE PROMISE than they should. The excitement of the new or different or unknown, or the imagination of what could be takes over.
In other words options that we would never have considered before; that if we had to use our wisdom and insight to choose -would never have made the cut – are now our primary consideration. These are the options that now occupy centre stage.
My friends, these are the nets in our lives, that we must look out for. It is worthless to be able to see the net, recognize the bait, and still proceed. Those too good to be true circumstances probably are! Invest your time and energy dealing with what is causing your discomfort before flying off into a net that is sure to be to your detriment.
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