I have always had a fascination with the idea of personal identity. As a child, I gave a lot of thought (maybe too much) to my personal worldview and how I defined myself. I looked to others I could adopt as personal role models, incorporating their traits into my own life. That ambition to keep working on who I am has always been consistent in my life.
I went to college and graduated, determined to keep defining my identity and thought I would make the world take notice. Perhaps foolishly, I was pursuing personal success rather than identity. I could have kept on that path. But, I’d be miserable and alone.
Sometime later, I discovered I have an identity in Christ and I began understanding that he too cares about the personal identities of his kids. He cares about their successes and their failures. More importantly, though, he cares about how we live, act, and react as we experience those moments.
These thoughts, and many like these, continued to surface as I read through Tim Tebow’s book, Shaken. I received an advance copy as part of his launch team and am delighted to be sharing a review with you here.
When Your Personal Identity is Shaken
You’re Not a Quarterback.
Many of us dream of being an NFL quarterback. Some of us seriously pursue it. Very few actually achieve it. At some point, there is an acceptance and/or realization that we will not be an NFL quarterback.
Now, imagine someone – many people actually – saying you’re not an NFL quarterback. They’re saying this after you’ve earned a Heisman Award and been called the best college quarterback ever. Ever!
Imagine being told you’re not what you’ve focused on being your entire life – an NFL quarterback – after being drafted in the first round. Or, imagine being told you are not an NFL quarterback after compiling a 9-7 record for a winning percentage equal to or better than countless other quarterbacks, some of whom are all-time greats and others continually get second, third, and fourth chances to restore their careers.
Imagine that critique being very public, very deliberate and very unsympathetic to who you are, what you’ve dreamt of doing your whole life and, not to mention, the countless hours of labor and expense you’ve endured.
Imagine that your every move is under intense public scrutiny and your choices – no matter how noble – are criticized, mocked and ridiculed.
Let’s face it… that would really suck.
More than just sucking, it would destroy many people. It has destroyed many people. But it hasn’t destroyed Tim Tebow. Sure, it’s shaken him. But it hasn’t destroyed him. It’s helped him refine life, with purpose, according to what God intends.
This book is a refreshing read that gets right into the heart of Tim Tebow’s passion. Moreover, it gets right to the heart of God’s passion for Tim Tebow and the work he’s entrusted Tebow with pursuing.
Grounded in Personal Identity
When we are grounded in whose we are, not only can we handle the storms that come, but we can also begin to move forward in a more purposeful direction.
Tebow shares this observation early on in the book, and rightfully so. His ability to seemingly shrug off being cut from NFL rosters multiple times stems from this fact. His ability to dismiss changing positions simply to resume an NFL career stems from this fact. And Tebow’s ability to pivot to pursuing professional baseball stems from this fact.
Tebow shares the disappointment and heartache he felt when such setbacks occurred. He shares his strategies for coping and – more importantly – moving forward. In addition, Tebow shares real-life examples of others he has met who have endured similar struggles. Along the way, he seemingly shows us that no matter how far we fall, there are always others who have fallen further and triumphed in their own rights.
Often, Tebow backs his stories and experiences with scriptural evidence that has no doubt helped to guide him throughout life. Written in a down-to-earth and simple manner, Shaken is suitable for practically any age and well worth the read.
I pray you buy it, read it, ponder it and then move forward with a renewed sense of your own personal identity in Christ.