The New Year and the Paralyzing Nature of Fear
Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.[1]
What are your desires for the new year? If you are anything like me, your desire may be that God would take all the broken pieces of your life and make them useful for the Lord. But do you struggle with fear in your desire to serve the Lord? If so, I hope this meditation will be of encouragement to you in the new year.
There is a curious little phrase in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30). It always catches my attention. But before we get to it, let’s discuss the parable a bit. What do we have that we have not received from the Lord? (1 Cor. 4:7) This parable is presented to teach us about God – that he is a good Master, bestowing to each of His children abilities that are to be used for Him.
We are expected to improve on these “talents,” not to bury them. Some have more talents and others less, nevertheless we are to use what we have been given by the Lord. This parable is not about stewarding money. It is about stewarding the gifts and abilities God has given to us.[2] It is about stewarding our very lives for the glory of God.
What is this curious little phrase in Matthew 25:24? And how can it help us to understand our own paralyzing fear in the new year? While the other servants used and multiplied their allotted talents, the one who buried his talent gave his master this excuse, “Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man...”[3] The ESV renders this, “I knew you to be a hard man...”
The servant then goes on to accuse his master of “reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed...” These are fearful accusations of harsh usury. Frankly, the servant viewed his master to be abusive and thus buried his talent. Did the servant really know his master at all?
The Character of God
Because the servant did not view his master rightly, he buried his talent. Thinking him to be a hard man, a difficult man, he dug a hole in the earth and in went his talent. Just like the servant, our lack of usefulness is rooted in a false understanding of the character of God.
Do you view God as a hard man? I know that I am tempted in this way. Especially in times of trial, it is easy to acknowledge God’s sovereignty, but what about his goodness? Does he truly have my good in view? Does He love me?
Sometimes, when good comes to our lives, we are tempted to view that good thing as a dangling carrot, ready to be snatched away by God just as soon as we grab ahold. Or we might be waiting for the proverbial hammer to fall. When we view God in this way, we are seeing him as a “hard man,” a difficult master. Viewing God rightly is critical as we employ our God-given talents in His world for His glory. If we view Him to be a difficult, hard master, we will be tempted to bury our talents. “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10a), but here the servant is exercising an unhealthy fear, where He viewed his master as a taskmaster, a critical owner, a harsh father. How often are we tempted in this way?
“An inappropriate fear of his master makes the one-talent servant do nothing; similarly, thinking of our Master as a tyrant who demands the impossible will make us fruitless as well.”[4]
“Hard thoughts of God drive us from and cramp us in his service. Those who think it impossible to please him, and in vain to serve him, will do nothing...”[5]
Our Paralyzing Fears
When we don’t view God rightly, it leads to a whole host of other fears. How often are you like me? Sometimes the fear of man creeps in, and we feel paralyzed to do anything productive. “The fear of man is a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected” (Prov. 29:25). Are you worried about what others will think of you, becoming paralyzed by fear? Do you compare yourself to others and then bury your talent?
Sometimes we fear failure. We might have an internal conversation, where we convince ourselves that we will fail, so we don’t even try. Paralyzed by this fear, we dig a hole and bury the talent.
Similarly, we might fear being imperfect. We might view God as a father who demands perfection, as a hard man, and it leads us to have a standard for ourselves that is so high, so unattainable, that we simply don’t live for Christ.
Please remember, we’re only human.[6] God has created us as finite creatures. Even before the fall, man was finite. Only God is infinite. That means that we are weak and limited in our abilities. After the fall, we became both finite and imperfect. We must embrace our finitude, weakness, and imperfections to be useful in God’s world.
Of course, when we see sin in our hearts, we must confess it to the Lord, turn from it, look to Jesus afresh, and then get on with the business of living for Him. Our Heavenly Father is not a hard man. He is kind, compassionate, loving, and merciful, delighting in His children (Ex. 34:6-7, Ps. 103:8-14).
The Faith of Child
Consider a small child, picking up crayons and drawing his best attempt at a family portrait. Everyone is represented in the portrait – mom, dad, his siblings, even the dog. With bald stick figures and scribbles for trees, he gleefully runs to his loving father, offering the portrait with delight. What does a good father do? The loving father rejoices in his son, receives the portrait with delight, and places that picture ecstatically on the fridge. Like the offerings of a child, our Father loves the scribble drawings of our lives that we offer to Him in faith.[7]
In the new year, will you use your life for the glory of God? Begin by viewing your Father rightly, as a good, loving Father who delights in His children. He delights in you! With your eyes fixed on Jesus, the one who made you acceptable to God by His life, death, and resurrection, pick up that talent this year and use it for the glory of God, that you might hear those beautiful words one day, “Well done, good and faithful servant...” (Matt. 25:21).
[1] Jonathan Edwards. Resolution #1b. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards
[2] Jon Bloom. Desiring God. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/have-you-buried-your-gifts
[3] All references are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.
[4] https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/investing-gods-gift
[5] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. 5, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991), pp. 305.
[6] Kelly Kapic, You’re Only Human (Ada, MI: Brazos Press, 2022)
[7] Inspired from a sermon by Wayne Mack.
Application:
Meditate on the character of God. If you are tempted to think of God as a hard man, repent of this and focus on all His attributes, especially His love, compassion, and grace.
Write out some Scriptures that speak to these attributes.
Ask God to give you a view of Him that will help you to be useful in the new year.
Ask God for opportunities to be of use for Him. What is He calling you to do for Him today?
Step out of your comfort zone to do something for someone else today. Begin with your closest sphere of influence – your family, someone in your church, a neighbor - and work outward. Remember, “God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does.” (Quote attributed to Martin Luther)
If you feel stuck, somewhat paralyzed by fear in the new year, we at Burke Care would love to walk with you, helping you to see the Lord more clearly and to be of greater use for Him.