As a former semi-pro hockey player who has been out of the game for more than a decade, I still like to look back at my career and reflect on the life lessons that my high school hockey coach taught us. One of my favorites was from a speech that went something like this: “Don’t worry about what the other team is doing. Concentrate on what makes you great. Get to the rink early and visualize shooting the puck and passing the puck. Visualize winning the little battles in the corner and coming out with the puck. We can only control our actions and our attitudes. Hockey is a game of mistakes, and if we make fewer mistakes than the other team, we will come up with a win.”

Today I am 37 years old, and I see and hear the onslaught of media and outside influences—from Twitter to Facebook, to FOX News and CNN, to friends and family, and (dare I say it) sometimes even pastors—telling us a list of things we need to do. It seems to me that we have become a carbon copy, microwave society—one that jumps on the “Committee of They” bandwagon.

I don't know about you, but I’m tired of not embracing the passions God has given me and not running with what I love to do. For the past several years, I have tried to listen to God every day and not lean on my own understanding. And, for anyone who is tired of running in circles and trying to please others by filling out society’s checklist, I contend it’s time to tune out the Committee of They and listen to the Holy Spirit inside you. Scripture tells us that, if we know Christ, we will be able to hear His voice (John 10:27) and know what direction He wants us specifically to go. 

Yes, wise counsel is good, but trying to please everyone will get you nowhere. Once you tune out the Committee of They, you will become a better you and hit a new level of worship. And when work becomes worship, we can truly glorify Him.