Shaken

In Shaken, Tim Tebow argues that developing one’s faith and relationship with God can provide a stable foundation for one’s emotions, identity, and outlook on life. The book’s title comes from Psalm 16:8, in which the king of Israel says, “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (4). Tebow argues that difficult events can leave people “shaken” and unsure of how to cope if they do not have a strong faith to fall back on. He questions, “When your world is shaken, when the plans and dreams you’ve banked on, get obliterated […] what do you hold onto?” (19). By raising these questions, the author presents life events and material circumstances as unpredictable and ever-changing, and he contrasts these with the “solid ground” of God’s love (19).

As one example of faith-based stability, Tebow recalls a time when he suffered a professional rejection and he heavily relied on faith for direction: “Though I carried the crushing weight of disappointment, I was working so hard to reenergize myself with confidence. Not in myself. Not in my abilities or my athleticism. […] In the One who loved me beyond all love” (20).