Review: Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years and Yours by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole

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During this Sabbatical, I've been blogging and journaling different thoughts and feelings as I've quietly listened to God's voice. In devotions, prayers, worship, readings, and other pastors' sermons, it has been humbling to see how God is bringing various things together at this stage of life and ministry.

One of the biggest works God has been doing is in my identity.

Now, as followers of Jesus, we "know" that our identity is in Christ and not in what we do... what has been so good for me is to have what I do stripped away. As I've attended churches across our city for nearly four months, I was hit with an important truth:

I'm not the guy!

I'm completely and totally anonymous! No one knows who I am. No one knows about my spiritual gifts, my talents, experiences, and abilities. No one is looking for me, learning from me, expecting something from me, thanking me, or even talking to me.

I'm anonymous.

And if I were really, really honest, deep down I'm not sure I liked it at first.

Reading Anonymous by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole at this time in my Sabbatical was God's perfect timing!

Now, I don't believe you need to be on a Sabbatical to get a lot from this book. It's for anyone who has hoped for something from God and has had to wait. That's pretty much all of us!

Britt Chole uses the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness to help us explore how God uses the hidden years to strengthen our character and our faith.

I love this quote from the book:

Anonymous seasons afford us the opportunity to establish God as our souls' true point of reference if we resist underestimating how he treasures our hiddenness and take the time to decide whose attention and acceptance really matters in our lives.

This is such a great lesson for all of us! When no one is pursuing you, there is a freedom that comes with a sense of aimlessness if we don't direct ourselves to the author and creator of our souls!

In this anonymous season, I have looked closely at who I am in Christ. In an intentional time of lack of busyness, I have been able to focus on my intimacy with my Father, my family, and with friends.

Busyness has a way of robbing us of the intimacy that we all need to strengthen and feed our spirits. It also has a way of making us feel important and that we're making a difference in the world for Jesus. 

And, after pastoring for the past twenty years, I can honestly say modern Christianity celebrates performance and busyness with the same level of praise as the secular world. Men and women of God are praised for what they do, rather than the strength of their quiet, submissive character to the will of God.

And that's a dangerous place for any of us to live in!

Because the choices we make in the place of trial today are greatly the fruit of choices we have made in our yesterday.

 Anonymous is a quick read, but one that will challenge you to take a look at your faith journey at a deep level to remind us that "anonymous seasons are the surprised source of enduring spiritual strength."

It's OK to not be the guy! Because your Father in heaven already sees you as a beloved child, whom he sent his son to die for, and has sealed you with the Holy Spirit. To God, I'm already the guy!

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