I woke up last night and couldn’t get back to sleep because so many thoughts were knocking at my door. Normally I let them in and entertain them, but last night I decided to do something different. I let them in, but, instead of entertaining them, I just watched them parade across my mind and out the back door.
There were thoughts of every size and description. After a while, I noticed that they had one surprising thing in common. Each thought was saying some version of “you should be ashamed” (for not trying hard enough or being good enough or whatever). I kept watching the parade, and then something strange and wonderful happened: I began to realize that I didn’t have to believe them.
“Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Romans 12:2
“To be human is to be infected with this phenomenon we call shame.” Dr. Curt Thompson