WHEN FEAR MAKES YOU HIDE
“I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.” —Matthew 25:25 ESV
Devotional
The servant’s words reveal exactly how fear works: “I was afraid, so I hid.” Fear was not simply an emotion he experienced. Fear shaped his behavior. It made his decision for him.
The master had placed something valuable in his hands. The servant had ability. He had an opportunity. He had been trusted with something that belonged to the master. But instead of seeing the talent as a trust, he saw it as a threat. What if I lose it? What if I make the wrong decision? What if I try and fail? What if the master is disappointed in me? Fear convinced him that hiding was safer than trying.
We still do the same thing. We hide the gift because we are afraid it will not be good enough. We delay starting the business because it may not succeed. We avoid the conversation because it may not go the way we hope. We keep the idea to ourselves because someone may criticize it. We wait for perfect conditions because perfection gives us the illusion that failure can be avoided.
But doing nothing is still a decision. The servant may not have lost the talent, but he also never used it. He protected himself from the possibility of failure, but he also removed every possibility of growth, multiplication, and faithfulness.
Fear of failure often disguises itself as caution. We tell ourselves that we are waiting for the right time, praying for confirmation, or preparing a little longer. Sometimes waiting is wise. But sometimes “I’m waiting” is simply a spiritual way of saying, “I’m afraid.”
God is not asking you to guarantee the outcome. He is asking you to faithfully use what He has placed in your hands. Faithfulness may mean beginning before you feel completely ready. The question is not whether you can promise success. The question is whether fear will be allowed to bury your obedience. The talent was not a trap. It was a trust.
Examine the Fear
What has fear caused you to hide, delay, or avoid?
What story has fear been telling you about what will happen if you try? Is there something you have called “waiting” that may actually be fear? What is one faithful step you already know you need to take?
Today’s Faith Step
Take one small, visible step toward something fear has caused you to bury. Do not try to complete the entire assignment today. Write the first paragraph. Send the email. Make the appointment. Tell someone about the idea. Then say, “God, I cannot guarantee the outcome, but I can choose to be faithful with what You placed in my hands.”
Prayer
Father, show me where fear has caused me to hide. Forgive me for treating what You entrusted to me like a threat instead of a trust. Give me the courage to stop waiting for perfect conditions and take the next faithful step. I cannot control the outcome, but I can choose obedience. Fear will not make my decisions for me. Amen.
Devotional
The servant’s words reveal exactly how fear works: “I was afraid, so I hid.” Fear was not simply an emotion he experienced. Fear shaped his behavior. It made his decision for him.
The master had placed something valuable in his hands. The servant had ability. He had an opportunity. He had been trusted with something that belonged to the master. But instead of seeing the talent as a trust, he saw it as a threat. What if I lose it? What if I make the wrong decision? What if I try and fail? What if the master is disappointed in me? Fear convinced him that hiding was safer than trying.
We still do the same thing. We hide the gift because we are afraid it will not be good enough. We delay starting the business because it may not succeed. We avoid the conversation because it may not go the way we hope. We keep the idea to ourselves because someone may criticize it. We wait for perfect conditions because perfection gives us the illusion that failure can be avoided.
But doing nothing is still a decision. The servant may not have lost the talent, but he also never used it. He protected himself from the possibility of failure, but he also removed every possibility of growth, multiplication, and faithfulness.
Fear of failure often disguises itself as caution. We tell ourselves that we are waiting for the right time, praying for confirmation, or preparing a little longer. Sometimes waiting is wise. But sometimes “I’m waiting” is simply a spiritual way of saying, “I’m afraid.”
God is not asking you to guarantee the outcome. He is asking you to faithfully use what He has placed in your hands. Faithfulness may mean beginning before you feel completely ready. The question is not whether you can promise success. The question is whether fear will be allowed to bury your obedience. The talent was not a trap. It was a trust.
Examine the Fear
What has fear caused you to hide, delay, or avoid?
What story has fear been telling you about what will happen if you try? Is there something you have called “waiting” that may actually be fear? What is one faithful step you already know you need to take?
Today’s Faith Step
Take one small, visible step toward something fear has caused you to bury. Do not try to complete the entire assignment today. Write the first paragraph. Send the email. Make the appointment. Tell someone about the idea. Then say, “God, I cannot guarantee the outcome, but I can choose to be faithful with what You placed in my hands.”
Prayer
Father, show me where fear has caused me to hide. Forgive me for treating what You entrusted to me like a threat instead of a trust. Give me the courage to stop waiting for perfect conditions and take the next faithful step. I cannot control the outcome, but I can choose obedience. Fear will not make my decisions for me. Amen.
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