The Text Message...

A few weeks ago, I received a text message from a friend of mine. The text was short and sweet. 

“I need to talk to you after service.”

After I responded back with “ok.” my mind went in overdrive. 

What could he possibly want to talk to me about? “What did I even do?” No word of a lie here, my mind flashed back to events that took place a LONG time ago, when he two of us had worked together. 

Then I showed the text to my wife, and told her that I hated getting short messages like that. 

She replied back: “You haven’t done anything bad, so what are you worried about?”

I stewed on that message for the rest of the night, right up until the time I could meet with the person who sent me the text message. 

You know what? The conversation wasn't about me doing something wrong! Imagine!? It was an incredibly positive conversation, one that actually benefited me, not harmed me. 

Why is it that we almost always think negative thoughts when someone wants to talk to/with us? 

I’m not sure if I have an complete answer on this one, but it could be because:

 a) we have done something wrong

 b) We’d rather think negative thoughts about ourselves than positive thoughts 

(What we sometimes forget, is that some people are legitimately concerned about us, and they just want to talk to us just because. No other reason. They just want to know how we are.) 

The sad part, however, is that most of the time, I tend to think negative things when someone wants to “talk with me.”

This was certainly the case this time, but then I quickly remembered a verse I had read a long time ago found in the Book of Romans. 

“For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5 So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.” (Romans 13:3-5)

If, I had done nothing wrong, then I had nothing to be afraid of. 

However, If i had done something wrong, then I had every right to be scared, because I was being called out.

The Life lesson is, two fold: 

If you text me and want to talk, give me a heads up on what you want to talk about to save me from a heart attack, and secondly— and seriously— life live as Jesus wants, obey the authorities, and you won’t have to be scared when someone does text you and wants to talk.