In the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25, we are presented with a choice between fidelity and fear. We are each entrusted with capital in our lives – not just natural abilities, but time, influence, and grace – and called to use it to further our purpose here. We can choose to step out in trust, or we can be paralyzed by the fear of failing and losing what we were given. Ultimately, whether we invest or bury these gifts dictates the shape of our lives.
This dynamic is easy to spot in ordinary circumstances like business or academics. But when applied to the spiritual life, it requires a deeper kind of attention. Consider the virtues made available to us: temperance, prudence, faith, love, justice, courage, and hope. How often do we actively invest and strengthen them, and how often do we find ourselves burying them for fear of the world’s perception?
When I look back, the extreme examples are the ones that jump out. Times when I lost hope, only to be carried by the hope of another. Or moments when I was emboldened by my faith to help a stranger in need. But the truth is, my path in those critical moments wasn’t decided on the spot. It was decided by everything that led up to them.
The small, uncelebrated decisions we make daily are the ones that forge our constitution. The quiet practice of choosing the good builds a reservoir of strength, which is the only way to overcome the fear waiting for us when the stakes are highest.
The uncertainty of the outcome will always be there. But we can prepare ourselves to respond faithfully, so that when our time comes to give an account of what we were handed, we can return it to the Master doubled.