’)Jesus told a story about three men, each presented with an allotment of money to handle in the way they thought best. Two of the men took their share, invested it wisely, and earned a 100% return. But the third man, afraid to risk any loss, buried his money in the ground. Rather than feeling free to be creative with what God had given, rather than enjoying a relationship with his master that gave him room to try and fail, he was always looking over his shoulder, motivated less by success and more by avoiding punishment. He thought of his boss as a “hard man” (Matthew 25:24), itching to crush anyone who crossed him. You never knew what might set him off.
It’s true—our God is more powerful than we could imagine. The Bible describes him as being angry with the wicked “every day” (Psalm 7:11), expressing his wrath in various ways toward those who refuse to acknowledge his authority. But as believers in Christ, we know that “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
He’s not breathing down our neck. He’s not holding a fly swatter over our head, just waiting for us to make a mistake. Our God is an encourager who works with us to make our lives profitable and successful in His service. If you’re living in a culture of fear as a Christian, you’re reading your Father wrong.