Word of Encouragement from Scott Bertrand, Adult Ministries Pastor
The “imposter syndrome” is a psychological tendency that many people experience. They feel like they aren’t qualified, experienced, educated, enough—they don’t measure up in some essential way. They know it, those around them don’t, but it is just a matter of time before they do. And when they do…exposure, disaster, devastation. But the imposter syndrome doesn’t just debilitate our relationships with others. It can paralyze us in our relationship with God, too. We feel that God doesn’t really know who we are, what our weaknesses are, where life is just too much. We fear him finding out. We don’t want to be exposed as Christian imposters.
But God does know us. He knows us better than we know ourselves, in all our weaknesses, shames, and failures: “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” (Ps 103:14). For those who are in Christ, we need not fear being exposed before God because as the verse before reminds us, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him” (Ps 103:13). God isn’t disappointed by our weaknesses; they draw us to him. God isn’t disgusted by our failures; in love, God sent Christ to redeem them.
To the God who made you in his image and remade you in Christ’s, you aren’t a spiritual imposter. You’re his beloved, adopted child.
