Fear is not symmetrical. We tend to be far more afraid of losing things we already have than of missing out on new opportunities. In behavioral economics, this phenomenon is called loss aversion.
In the Parable of the Talents, the unsuccessful servant explains his lack of productivity in this way:
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 25:25; see also Luke 19:20-21
He misjudged the expectations of the owner. Preservation of principal was not his only priority, as he explained:
Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Matthew 25:26-27; see also Luke 19:22-23
Two of the other servants followed a better strategy: they put their entrusted funds to work. In doing so, they took some risk, but the strategy paid off. Both of them returned to the owner far more than he had left with them, and to both of them he said, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, 23; see also Luke 19:17, 19).
I wish one of the servants had actually lost money, because I’d like to hear how the owner would have reacted. Would he be even more angry than he was with the servant who had done nothing and lost nothing? Or would he say something like, “Things didn’t work out for you this time, but you did the right thing. I’m glad you took a chance and made a decision. We may need to make some adjustments to your approach, but keep being proactive! That’s what I want you to do with my money.” I’m not convinced that this austere employer would have actually been so kind but that is the message of the parable: You have to be willing to take some risks. If you are so afraid of losing something that you never try anything, then you will never gain anything either.
The owner reclaimed the single talent from the loss-averse servant and gave it to the one who had ten pounds. In Luke’s account, the onlookers are shocked by this inequity: “Lord, he hath ten pounds,” they say. In response, the owner delivers the moral of the story: “Unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him” (Luke 19:26; see also Matthew 25:29, Matthew 13:12).
Surely he meant more than “hath.” The servant who had ten talents wasn’t being rewarded for having ten talents, but for doing something with the talents he had been given. When Nephi shared a version of this maxim, he used active verbs. Speaking on behalf of God, he said, “Unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have” (2 Nephi 28:30).
I’ve been thinking today about the many ways I bury my talent and how I can emulate the more productive servants. Here are some thoughts:
- When I’m trying to decide whether to speak up in a meeting, do I overestimate the risk of embarrassment and underestimate the potential benefit of my words?
- Do I spend too little time and energy on education because I undervalue the knowledge I have not yet gained?
- When a new opportunity comes my way, does my fear of failure overpower my vision of what success might look like?
Today, I will make use of the resources the Lord has given me. I will ensure that my fear of failure doesn’t prevent me from taking some risks and pursuing opportunities.
Thankyou so much. As always you have great insights. I liked the thought if I failed at the trying that He would be like you mentioned. Encouraging and loving. Which He is. We don’t know success without failure!
Thanks for the comment, and I’m glad you enjoyed the post. President Nelson said, “The Lord loves effort,” and I think that is the main message of this parable: use your resources wisely, put them to work, and see what you can accomplish!
Have a great day.
Such thought-provoking questions! Thank you!!
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for letting me know!
Thanks Paul. I had been asking myself the same question…how would he respond to the loss of talents from a proactive, well-intentioned yet failed venture?
The answer I landed on was that it’s an invalid question. The question presupposes that failure in a proactive, well-meaning activity in the service of the Master is a potential outcome. When we believe that (1) His grace makes all the difference and (2) all things will be consecrated for our good, then how is failure an option unless we abandon Him /deny His grace?
I guess it boils down to perspective. We will fail many times each day in our mortal state. However, when we define success & failure within the context of an eternal reward, then there is no such thing as failing as long as we keep striving to the blessed end.
That’s a great perspective, Aaron. If we think of the parable in terms of the Final Judgment, there isn’t really a third option here. We have either labored diligently with faith in Him and experienced the growth that comes by His grace, or we haven’t.
I just wanted to highlight the fact that along the way, we will all fail many times. The only alternative is to do nothing, and as the unwise servant discovered, even that doesn’t work very well. It’s best to be anxiously engaged even if we don’t always see positive results right away. Have a great day!
Great points Paul. I think we are saying the same thing but perhaps talking past each other a little.
Our ‘anxious engagement’ is the only success criteria that God measures. He controls the outcomes and their timing. There is no failure from God’s POV as long as we remain anxiously engaged.
Oliver Granger is a good example of this principle that springs to mind.
I like that perspective: Even things that seem like failures to us may not be failures in the eyes of God. I like the Oliver Granger example. Thanks for sharing!