HOW GOD WANTS YOU TO OVERCOME THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Feeling like a phony, a fake, a fraud? Living in constant fear that you will be exposed? Believing that all your success is due to chance? Wondering when everyone is going to figure out that you don’t belong?

These are all signs and symptoms of Imposter Syndrome (IS), a genuine and common way of thinking that keeps many of us believing the lies that we are not good enough, that we don’t belong, and that we will be exposed for our inadequacies.

Learn how God wants you to overcome the Imposter Syndrome by embracing who you are in Christ.

WHAT IS THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME?

Although I did not know the technical term, my earliest memory of experiencing Imposter Syndrome happened in elementary school. One of the “popular” girls in class invited me to sit with her and her cool friends during lunch in the cafeteria. Excited, apprehensive, and a little shocked, I eagerly accepted. Throughout the morning lessons and even at recess, a growing sense of panic began to rise within me.

• What if she was joking and I took her seriously?
• What if I get to the lunch table, and they figure out that I am not cool enough to sit with them?
• What if someone exposes me as a loser and a nerd, and everyone laughs at me?

Instead of going to lunch that day, I ended up in the nurse’s office. I had worked myself so much that I actually got sick.

I wish I could tell you that that was my last episode of feeling like an imposter. Hardly. Even though I got better at covering it up, I thought it:

• When I ran for student council or tried out for anything in high school.
• When I went to college and knew the admissions office had made a mistake in accepting me.
• When I taught high school the first year and feared my students would figure out that I had no idea what I was doing!
• When I became a mom for the first time and doubted whether I could handle motherhood.

And yes, I still experience Imposter Syndrome every time I teach, speak, publish, or post!

Please tell me that someone out there relates!! 🤦🏻‍♀️

An article on the website VerywellMind helps explain Imposter Syndrome (IS):

Impostor syndrome (IS) refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. While this definition is usually narrowly applied to intelligence and achievement, it has links to perfectionism and the social context.

To put it simply, imposter syndrome is the experience of feeling like a phony—you feel as though at any moment you are going to be found out as a fraud—like you don’t belong where you are, and you only got there through dumb luck. It can affect anyone no matter their social status, work background, skill level, or degree of expertise.

The term was first used by psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in the 1970s. When the concept of IS was introduced, it was originally thought to apply mostly to high-achieving women. Since then, it has been recognized as more widely experienced.“

Arlin Cuncic, “What Is Imposter Syndrome?”

SIGNS YOU STRUGGLE WITH THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME

After doing more research, I came up with some questions to ask yourself if you feel you might be struggling with Imposter Syndrome.

• Do you mistrust the compliments people give you?
• Do you feel unworthy of success?
• Do you feel that you got where you are by luck or chance?
• Do you struggle with anxiety or depression?
• Do you underestimate your competence and skills?
• Do you criticize yourself even after others give you praise?
• Do you sabotage your success?
• Do you set unrealistic goals and expectations for yourself?

Whether you answered yes to one of these questions or all of them, it is vital to consider the impact Imposter Syndrome can have on our lives. It can rob us of our true identity, keep us from fulfilling our calling, and suppress our influence as moms, leaders, teachers, coaches, mentors, and friends.

Stephanie O’Brien explains why it is so crucial that we recognize and confront Imposter Syndrome:

We all have a purpose God intentionally designed for us to live out: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Eph. 2:10). Without question, the Imposter Syndrome will hold us back, preventing us from enjoying―and sharing―all God has for us.“

Stephanie O’Brien, “Beat Imposter Syndrome”

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Although many places in the Scriptures address the underlying identity issues of Imposter Syndrome, Paul’s opening message to the believers in Ephesus is rich and powerful in expounding on all of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ.

In most Bible translations, there are two headings for this passage of scripture:

1. Spiritual Blessings in Christ: Ephesians 1:3-14
2. Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom & Insight: Ephesians 1:15-22

I chose these verses because they give a complete picture of who we are in Christ. And it is only when we understand our identity that we will be able to overcome Imposter Syndrome.

Ephesians 1:3-18 (NLT)

³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. ⁶ So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. ⁷ He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. ⁸ He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

⁹ God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. ¹⁰ And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. ¹¹ Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

¹² God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. ¹³ And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own  by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. ¹⁴ The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

¹⁵ Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, ¹⁶ I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, ¹⁷ asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. ¹⁸ I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

4 WAYS TO OVERCOME THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME WITH GOD’S HELP

While Ephesians deals with many foundational doctrinal issues of Christianity (I highly recommend doing an inductive Bible study to understand these), our focus will be on identifying four biblical truths that help us overcome the Imposter Syndrome.

1) INVITATION: ACCEPT GOD’S INVITATION

The Imposter Syndrome says that you are insignificant. The Bible tells you that God chose you before He laid the earth’s foundations. If you are a follower of Jesus (and if you are unsure, please read this or reach out to me), God invites you to see yourself the way He sees you. Look at Ephesians 1:4-5:

⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.“

Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT)

The first step to overcoming Imposter Syndrome is to accept God’s invitation to become a follower of Jesus and to see yourself as He sees you:

• Loved
• Chosen
• Holy (set apart)
• Adopted as daughters and sons of God
• United with Christ

2) IDENTITY: EMBRACE YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

Next, we need to embrace our new identity in Christ. When we struggle with feeling like an imposter, fake, or fraud, we base our identity on what we do, who we know, how successful we are, or what others think of us. God wants us to overcome the Imposter Syndrome by focusing on whose we are. Our identity comes from belonging to Jesus.

⁶ So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.⁷ He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. ⁸ He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

Ephesians 1:6-8

Jesus purchased our freedom by the blood He shed on the cross for our sins. When we accept this gift of grace through faith, we are His, and our identity is now in Christ, which frees us from feeling like an imposter. Ephesians 2: 8-10 (NIV) reminds us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Instead of feeling inadequate, we know that God created and equipped us to do good works.

3) INHERITANCE: CLAIM YOUR SPIRITUAL INHERITANCE

The Imposter Syndrome often makes us feel like we are unworthy or undeserving of any good thing that happens to us. The Bible tells us that we receive a spiritual inheritance with our adoption as God’s children.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs.

Romans 8:15-17a (NLT)

Our passage from Ephesians 1 reminds us that the Holy Spirit (verse 14), whom we receive when we accept and follow Jesus, guarantees (verse 11) our spiritual inheritance.

While the Imposter Syndrome fuels our insecurities and inadequacies, when we claim our spiritual inheritance based on our unity with Christ, we know that the Holy Spirit’s power and work within us make us worthy and whole.

4) INSIGHT: ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU WISDOM & INSIGHT

Finally, one of the best ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome is to replace the lies we tell ourselves with the truth from God’s Word. And Paul is clear in letting us know that among the many spiritual blessings that God gives to every believer are wisdom, insight, and understanding (verse 8). Paul explicitly prays that we would receive spiritual wisdom:

…I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

Ephesians 1: 16b-18

When we grow in spiritual wisdom and our knowledge of God, we gain “confident hope.” This hope reassures us that we do not have to pretend or put on a show for anyone. We can let go of worrying if we are enough or fearing that we will be exposed. Biblical truth tells us that we belong to God through Jesus and are guaranteed a glorious inheritance by the Holy Spirit.

OVERCOMING IMPOSTER SYNDROME TOGETHER

Are there days I still wrestle with feeling like a fake, phony, or fraud? Absolutely! But allowing myself to be open and vulnerable with you keeps me accountable, and it also lets you know that I am here to support and encourage you if you struggle with Imposter Syndrome.

AT THE CROSSROADS wants to offer you a safe place to pause, pray, and process as you overcome Imposter Syndrome by embracing your true identity in Christ. If you put your hand in mine, we can walk this part of our faith journey together. Sign up by filling out the form below, and you will receive weekly blog posts, monthly newsletters, free faith resources, and more!

If this post spoke to you in any way, would you mind leaving a comment, sharing it on social media, or even letting a friend know? My heart is to help as many people connect faith and life even when it is complicated, messy, and uncomfortable. And I would love to have you along for the journey!