How to respond to blessing

In the parable of the talents, Jesus taught his disciples how to respond to blessings in our life. The first two servants responded by using their blessings (talents) for good, but the third man hid his because he was afraid of the Master. In fear, he actually accused his Master of stealing from others (see Matthew 25:24-25). When our heavenly Father blesses us, we must not respond in fear of losing it. Yet, this becomes harder the older we become, because our Father gives us more and more. When I was in college, I didn’t have much materially. I had a great heritage from my family, but I owned little more than a car, a stereo, clothes, and some textbooks. If I lost all my worldly possessions, it would not have been a great loss. However, as time went by, Father gave me a wife, children, and way more stuff than any of us need. With each new blessing comes an increased temptation to protect what I have. Fear and anxiety bangs at the door of my heart to enter in with all kinds of “what if” scenarios. With nothing, it is easy to live like the first two men in the parable of the talents, but with each increasing blessing, the temptation to slip into a life of fear, like the third man, becomes increasingly attractive. However, fear is a cruel master, constantly seeking more and more control of our lives. On the other hand, the recognition of what Jesus taught us about God our Father sets us free. The more that we grasp and act upon his goodness, the more our lives are set free.