AN IDENTITY IN CHRIST | KAIROS GLOBAL | APRIL 2021

Author: Gladly Anthony

Intro: From a teenager with an identity crisis, to a person rooted in Christ, Gladly Anthony tells us of his faith formation.

Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

As a teenager from Kerala¹ born and brought up in Tamil Nadu², I have always struggled with finding my identity. My school friends bullied me as I was not one of them and I was alienated in my native state, due to my out-of-Kerala upbringing. I was lost in-between trying to do everything possible to belong. I did many things, put on different masks to identify myself with the people I was surrounded with. 

Little did I know that it was only in Christ that my identity as a human being, made in the image and likeness of God was always evident. My parents played a very important role in moulding my faith formation from childhood. I am from a deeply rooted charismatic family, which at least means the number of retreats I attended are more than my age.

Going through retreats every year would get me going in my faith for a couple of weeks but after that, I would be back to square one, or worse than before. At one point, with many retreats and Jesus Youth programmes in my school years behind me, I started wondering, ‘Is that all?’ Why go to these programmes? What’s the point in having these retreats? Because at that time, I was pretty sure that after the first few weeks, I would become the same old me. There was always that void inside me which made me feel empty and vacant. I didn’t for a moment believe the ‘that’s how it is and that’s how it works’ theory. I was waiting for more. I was expecting. I was hoping. 

As the song goes,

There must be more than this, O breath of God, come breathe within

There must be more than this, Spirit of God, we wait for You

But as the journey continued with Jesus Youth, God brought people into my life who journeyed with me and accompanied me. There was a fellowship that was formed, which gradually built me and formed me. In hindsight, I can understand Ecclesiastes 3, which says, There is a time for everything. I always believed that if I woke up in the morning, then God was not done with me yet. Finding my identity in Christ has been a game changer in my life. Finding identity in Christ is something which I have worked on daily, step by step, with God bringing resources that deepen the identity I have in Christ.

With deep fear, I always prayed this prayer which I learnt a long time back. ‘Lord, take away from me anything or anyone that may take me away from you.’ There were times I have regretted making this prayer. But when I look back now, I can see how beautifully God has worked. The Master is always concerned with perfecting His masterpiece (cf: Ephesians 2:10)

As words from Matthew West’s song goes,

This might hurt, it's not safe

I don’t care if I break

Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions

I don’t wanna go one more day

Without your all-consuming passion inside of me

I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking

What if I had given everything

Instead of going through the motions?

Take me all the way

There was always a challenge when working for the Lord. But tough times or mountains which you face do not diminish the reality of God’s presence. As St. Paul says, ‘Stand firm, let nothing move you. Give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.’

The pillars of the Jesus Youth movement helped me in my formation and prepared me for my mission. After my graduation, I set apart a year to be a full-timer in Manipur, North East India as part of the Jesus Youth Full-time mission programme. The full-time mission programme has 40-day training and a 1-year formation that will prepare you for a lifetime commitment. Training for around 40 days with 40 people who have the same passion and mission as I am. Wow, what an amazing time it was. The passion and commitment of these people were inspiring and selfless. Later, some have found their vocation to become priests, and others lived their vocation in their own circles, bringing changes in people around them.

I feel the same as St. Theresa of Calcutta once said,

I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.

God has given me many responsibilities in this journey. I feel humbled and blessed to know that God has allowed me to work for his kingdom at this point in time. But, the fear of taking up this responsibility is real. This fear leads to daily dependence on him. I strongly trust in his mercy which is at work.

Every blessing I have received from God has sent me to a daily mission. I can't see a single blessing that I have received from God which doesn't send me. This has happened in the lives of everyone who have had a Jesus encounter in the Gospel, like the Samaritan woman sent to testify Christ. 

Christ is sent. So is the Church. And so are we.

^1,2 Kerala and Tamil Nadu are southern states of India.

Gladly Anthony is currently the National Coordinator and lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. He was former coordinator of JY Tamil Nadu and also a Full-timer for Manipur.