Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. (Matthew 25:24-25)
Fear is the most dangerous motivator in our world. Most news media use it to drive their views, many advertisements use it to promote their products, and the enemy uses it to get believers to step back and refuse to step out in faith when following God boldly.
In the parable of the talents, Jesus gave us some insight into the unjust servant. He described the servant as going so far as to call his master a hard man. However, all that we know from the story is that the master gave his servants some of his own finances and expected them to do something with them.
The servant admitted, “I was afraid.” Fear of judgment, failure, and comparison are dangerous and deadly tools of the enemy, used to destroy the potential of believers every day. When we dwell on thoughts that are not founded on God’s Word, we allow the enemy to corrupt our minds, wills, and emotions with his thoughts and concepts.
God never motivates us by fear but rather He does it through faith. Faith is our absolute trust in what God said and who God is. When we do things out of fear, we invite the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy parts of our lives through our agreement with his spirit. We must refrain from giving our attention to what the enemy is promoting.
Practical Application
Ask the Holy Spirit to identify any fears holding you back from stepping out in bold faith. Is it fear of judgment, fear of failure, or comparing yourself to others? Confront your fears with the Word of God and your identity in Christ. Decide that there is “no fear here.”
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