As a new year rolls around many people will be making New Years’ resolutions. It’s a time-honored tradition to make statements of commitment to being better or to act on various aspects of self-improvement.
Specifically, these resolutions may include eating better, getting up earlier, getting to bed earlier, or reading a book or two. Yet as we think about the resolutions we will make, let us also think about how to improve our spiritual self. As children of God, we are to think upon His word daily and thereby incorporating that Word of the Lord into our hearts and minds.
So, as we think about specific actionable items to include in our resolutions, I want to encourage us all to have faith over fear in 2022 regarding our attitudes and service towards God. In doing so we may fulfill a commandment to help a lost and dying world.
Have More Faith
As we think about having more faith than fear in 2022, let us look at a teaching of Jesus. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-25, it reads as follows,
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and made another five talents. And likewise, he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground and hid his lord’s money. After a long time, the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
“So, he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

Use Your Talent
In the final words of the text above we see the one talented man say, he was afraid. He allowed fear to come over him which affected the faith in his abilities to increase in that which he was entrusted.
Ask yourself this question. Will I allow fear to come over me in the year 2022 and stand in the background and the shadows and not fulfill my potential? What will God say to me should He come back and ask what I have done this year with my talents? What will be my response?
Fear is Natural
Being afraid is natural. We all experience it and must deal with it from time to time. In Mark 4:37-41, Jesus was sleeping in a boat when storms began to rage around Him and the disciples who were with Him. The disciples were so fearful and afraid for their lives that they woke Jesus from His sleep and asked Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” After Jesus calmed the seas and the wind, he turned to the men in the boat and said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
Be a Good and Faithful Servant
As we ponder our response to our fear and the lack of faith in the service of God, let us consider the words from the passage from Matthew 25: 21, “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
What a joyful response that will be to hear the words of your Lord, your God, “my good and faithful servant.”
This year, plan to act, plan to be faithful and plan to be less fearful in your service to the Lord.
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