Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxietyናሙና

Day 3: The Parable of the Talents

During His earthly ministry, Jesus told a parable or story about a man who was fearful. In this story, found in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven to a man who was about to go on a journey and called his servants to himself, entrusting them with his possessions.

The Bible uses the word “talents” to describe units of money, but for the sake of simplicity, let’s change this to dollars. To one servant, he gave $5,000, to another, he gave $2,000, and then to another $1,000, each according to their ability. After the householder left, each of the servants did something different with the money. The ones who had received $5,000 and $2,000 both wisely invested their money to make more money. The one who had received $1,000 hid it in the ground. After some time, the master returned from his journey and asked for an accounting. The first two had doubled their investment and received rewards for doing so. The last one, however, merely brought back the $1,000 originally entrusted to him by his master.

When questioned as to why he hadn’t invested the money, the servant said, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours” (25:24-25).

Can you see how the servant’s perspective of his master colored his use of his gifts? Look at the words the servant used to describe his master. He said that he was hard and unreasonable. Is it true that our heavenly Master is hard and unreasonable? Do you see how this servant’s view of God caused him to be afraid and made him hide his “talents” away?

You see, the desire to control people or circumstances is, at heart, a trust problem. Hopefully, it’s not that we don’t trust God for our initial salvation. Rather, it’s that we don’t trust Him to work things out for our good. We think that we have to do that. We find it almost impossible to let go of those things that are most dear to us: our children, our careers, and our future.

Prayer is effective, and God can and does work mightily in response to it, but He usually lets us wrestle with our habitual fears for a season. That’s because He wants us to grow to hate them and to desire to be free from them for the right reason: His glory. God is in charge of every part of your life, even your freedom from fear. You can rest in Him and trust that His deliverance will be right on time.

REFLECTION

Do you think that there is any likeness between the fearful servant and yourself? If so, what is the similarity?

How does your perspective on the character of God impact your fear?