Shades of Anonymous

When You Feel Invisible

Scripture: Psalm 139:16

Anonymous. We all know what it feels like to be overlooked, rejected, or discounted. My friend, God longs to touch our hearts during those times when we think we are less than we really are.

When you feel nobody knows your name or cares anything about you, remember this good news: you are known and loved by God!

Feeling Anonymous

God wants you to allow His great love for you to override negative circumstances and the negative opinions of others. In fact, He wants you to allow Him to eliminate any negativity that has weighed down your soul and clouded your vision of Him. It's never His plan that you live a life chained to sadness over yesterday. It's also not His plan that you live today defined by the faulty perceptions of others—especially the perception of being anonymous.

Here's a working definition:

anonymous – lacking individuality, unique character, or distinction

To get us thinking about the love that God has for us and our significance to Him, we will be exploring the stories of four nameless women from God's Word. Although nameless to us, each of these real, anonymous women held a special place in the heart of God. Their stories are included in His Word to encourage us and empower us to live life in vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.

Meet the Women

Throughout this book and the companion study, I refer to these anonymous women as our girlfriends and sisters. That's because this is who they've become to me as I've investigated their lives and talked to our heavenly Father about them. I've considered their plights and how their circumstances could have undone them, but instead, by God's mercy, they came face to face with Jesus.

I've given these women names so that we might identify with them as real people. Each woman's name gives a reference point of who she was when she met Jesus. First we'll meet Judged in the house of the Pharisee. Then we'll encounter Hurting near the shores of the Sea of Galilee. By the well in Samaria we'll be introduced to Ordinary. And finally, in Jerusalem's temple courtyard, we'll become acquainted with Shame.

It's not spelled out in Scripture, but I imagine that Judged, Hurting, Ordinary, and Shame each faced Jesus with warped identities. In other words, they had become the personification of what they were going through.

Life lends itself to that kind of thinking. If you hurt long enough, you begin to view yourself as a hurting person. If you're never noticed as someone making a contribution or if you're never valued, you begin to perceive yourself as overlooked. Each of these women had some time to develop scars before she met Jesus. I think that's why I've become so intrigued and connected with them. I've had moments with every one of those scars. Here's the beautiful reality. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ dispels every other identity that holds you hostage.

These four women in Scripture came to Jesus with different backgrounds. Judged, Hurting, Ordinary, and Shame all brought with them a background that Jesus used to reach others for His glory. When they turned to Him, God used their stories, which included their histories of sin and heartache. Each had an encounter with the Lord that was life changing—not only for themselves, but also for those who would hear their stories.

God wants to do the same in your life. Whatever your past, Jesus will use you to shine His glory if you come to Him.

You Are God's Somebody

My dear friend, if you belong to Christ, if you are in relationship with Him, then you can know that you are held in the highest esteem.

One day at a meal hosted by the Pharisees, the guests were laying claim to the best seats of the house while Jesus had the attention of the few standing before Him. Jesus proceeded to paint a word picture of a great supper with guests arriving (see Luke 14:7-11).

When an honorable guest arrived after the choice seats had been taken, the host could not permit the worthy guest to take the lowest place. Because that would be a breach of etiquette, he was left with one choice. He must inform the person occupying the seat of honor, of which he was not entitled, to take the lowest place. He then would invite the distinguished guest to sit in the place of honor, leaving the humiliated guest with a lesson he'd long remember. Jesus' point was that it would be better to take the lowliest spot in the first place, and then if your host disagreed with your choice, you'd hear him inviting you to move to a place of higher honor. You'd be respected in the presence of the other guests instead of embarrassed before them.

Jesus has reserved your spot at the most wonderful celebration banquet of all time! The marriage supper of Revelation 19 is a glorious celebration of all who are in Christ. Our four anonymous girlfriends never would have imagined they'd land on the guest list of such a grand celebration. Never ... until they met Jesus!

How about you, my friend? If you've ever questioned how He feels about you, then it's time for you to celebrate your place of honor in the heart of God!

The Woman Who Anointed Jesus

When You Are Judged

Scripture: Luke 7:36-50

My heart is so moved by the passion of this anonymous woman, Judged. I picture her with her eyes fixed on Jesus and her heart determined to get to Him. Something had happened to spur her on. Something glorious had given her the guts to burst into the Pharisee's house to carry out her mission of lavishing love upon Jesus. The accusing stares and judgments whispered about her did not matter at all. All she wanted to do was get to Jesus.

Living in a world tainted with sin and filled with sinners, it's easy to find yourself trapped inside walls of judgment. And if you're not mindful, you can get caught up in helping to erect those walls around others. Whether a victim of judgment or an occasional whisperer, Jesus has a pertinent word for all of us straight from His spot at the Pharisee's table.

The Great Love of God

I have been blessed to have a dad who loved me, enjoyed being with me, and approved of me. No matter what others thought, he thought I was the best! Every girl needs a daddy like that.

Maybe you're one of the few who share my blessing of this kind of father-daughter relationship. But if this scenario seems totally foreign to you, I have some great news. You have exactly that kind of Father. He is your Father God, and He adores you. His love is not based on your success or accomplishments—or even on your worthiness to be loved. He loves you because He created you. Talk about some good news! And it's good news for each one of us, regardless of the kind of father-daughter...