Let’s take a trip into your brain.

How often do you think about what someone else is thinking about you?

How often do you obsess over something someone (or you) said, did, or suggested?

How many times do you replay the tapes of a conversation, wondering if someone misunderstood what you said? Or if you said something wrong? Or if they think you said something wrong?

If we’re honest, it happens to all of us.

What keeps us from being our TRUE selves? What limits our transparency, our ability to be REAL? Why do we HIDE who we really are behind fake smiley masks?

Fear.

Fear of judgment.

Fear of what others might think, say, or do when we reveal that secret, that truth, that reality.

Fear of being real.

Well, I am declaring war.

A revolt against the human tendency to worry about what others think.

Because if we’re all worrying about what someone else is thinking, then we’re not really even thinking about someone else. We’re thinking about what someone else is thinking. So, no one is really even thinking about us. They’re thinking about what we’re thinking.

And all that confusing mess of stuff means we’re wasting our time.

Wasting our time on thoughts about nonsense that isn’t even happening.

I constantly tell my students that we usually have FIVE.

Five what, you ask?

Five people whose thoughts and opinions really matter to us. Five people we really care about hearing. Five people who pour into us and earn the right to have thoughts about the choices we make.

So, when it comes down to what people think, I consult my five. I consult my bible. I consult my Jesus.

Those are the ones that matter.

And if I can focus on the five, the bible, my Jesus, then my REVOLT can become a reality.

Did she notice the dust on my end tables? What about the pile of dishes in my sink? My yard is full of leaves. I wore this outfit last week. My front door has chipped paint. My dog needs a bath.

Really?

Let’s put this all in perspective.

What’s in my heart?

It’s good to have goals, motivation, cleanliness. But if I put all my stock into impressing people, I’m spending a whole lot of energy wasting time. Why do I want to impress them?

To appear “together”? (I’m completely broken).

To show my wealth? (I think I have a couple bucks in my wallet).

To wave around my mom skills? (Um..). My housekeeping skills? (Nope). My yard skills? (I can put on cute gloves and move dirt around pretty well).

What’s the motive?

When I go to heaven, will God ask me about my leaves?

Maybe everyone else looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.

Maybe my house is a mess because I’ve been spending quality time with my daughter at soccer practice.

Maybe I wore the same outfit because I can’t afford more clothes.

Maybe my yard is full of leaves because I spent my time tutoring some students after school instead of rushing home to rake them (the leaves, not the students).

We spend more time worrying about judgment AND

judging other people for doing the things we think they should do.

And those things are often surface-y things that ultimately, in the heavenly scheme of things, will

NEVER MATTER.

It’s not our job to judge.

It’s God’s job.

And besides, why are we worrying about other people’s dust, clothing, or leaves? When we really think about it, it seems rather worthless.

Honestly, it’s a first world problem.

I know there are children of the world who would love to have enough outfits to last longer than a week. Or own a side table that has dust. Or for that matter, own a house that has a side table that has dust.

Are we really spending our time on that stuff?

And can you imagine what a REVOLT would do? A revolt against judgment? Against worrying about what others think? A revolt that would FREE others to stop running on the hamster wheel in their brains, constantly worrying and never getting anywhere?

If we free ourselves, we ultimately free others.

Because we often judge others for the things we aren’t doing ourselves. Or the things we feel guiltiest about in our own lives. We place our heaviest weight on those who can’t live up to the standards we hold for ourselves.

And that isn’t fair.

What if we would just LOVE?

In spite of and because?

What if we erased the worry tapes in our minds and replaced them with peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control?

What if we used all that extra time we usually worry to do things that change the world and make a difference?

What if we focused on CHOOSING not to worry?

Now, I like a clean house. It makes me feel peaceful. And I wash my clothes (in case you were wondering). I actually enjoy dusting and vacuuming. If you are, at this point in my blog, thinking about my dusting and vacuuming and whether I rake my leaves, you have missed my point ENTIRELY.

I am leading a REVOLT.

Let’s revolt against the tendency to worry. And judge. And concentrate on what others think about us.

We have one audience, folks.

An audience of One.

And you know what HE thinks about you?

All kinds of crazy LOVE.

And He will tell you if there are things you need to change, work on, develop, make better. You just need to listen.

So what if we chose to be like Him?

What if instead of judgment we found ourselves loving? And that love would fill up our minds and our hamster wheels and our worry logs and consume us so much we wouldn’t think twice about what others think.

Because it wouldn’t matter.

Because when we see with new eyes, with His eyes, it doesn’t matter the size of the house, the shiny-ness of the car, the price tag on the clothes. It doesn’t matter the bulk of the wallet, the white glove test on the furniture, the yard of the month sign sticking in the grass.

All of those things don’t carry our worth.

He does.

So be the best version of yourself. Seek His face, spend time in His word.

But don’t let your mind take you to those places – the repetitive, ugly, “worry about what others think” places.

Grab your freedom and join my revolt. I can assure you, it’s a much better place to live.

Your brain will thank you, your family will thank you, your friends will thank you, and ultimately, I thank you.

Because if we all lead the revolt, we might just start a revolution.

Breathe it in, friends. Can you smell it?

Yep.

Freedom.

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