How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome as a Christian

It can happen when walking into a room of amazingly talented people, spiritually mature people, or maybe just other Christians who seem to have life all figured out regarding family, finances, and amazingly good health. A person experiencing imposter syndrome feels like a fraud; they don’t belong. They believe any success they’ve had was a fluke, and eventually, they’ll be exposed, and everyone will know the truth. 

The Root of Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is very real and typically rooted in anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and perfectionism, according to WebMD. High achievers struggle with imposter syndrome the most. Where vocation is concerned, 56 percent to 82 percent of people struggle with imposter syndrome. The exact percentage depends on vocation, according to the NIH government website.  

In addition, imposter syndrome is especially prevalent among CEOs. In the United States, 71 percent of CEOs struggle with it, according to Korn Ferry.

For a Christian, imposter syndrome can also show up as feeling that even though someone has been a Christian for many years, they’re lacking in Biblical knowledge and just not living out the Christian life as well as everyone else, according to The Gospel Coalition (TGC).

However, the comparison isn’t exactly a fair one because it measures what’s going on internally with one person and what appears to be going on with someone else via observing from the outside. TGC compares this to one person sitting in a movie theater watching a movie while the other one has their ear pressed up against the wall outside of the theater.  

A Few People in the Bible Who Struggled with Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome negatively impacts a person’s ability to walk in the calling for which God has chosen them. There are even some people in the Bible who struggled with imposter syndrome.

When God called Moses to stand before Pharaoh, Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11)

When God called Gideon to lead Israel into battle against the Midianites so Israel could be set free from their oppression, Gideon said to God, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” (Judges 6:16)

When Mordecai informed Queen Esther that a decree went out for all of the Jews to be slaughtered and told her she needed to intervene, she refused at first because she no longer believed she had favor with the king. It had been a full month since he invited her into his presence. (Esther 3:11)

That being said, God is gracious and knows the frailties of each of His Children. He loves to give second chances (sometimes even third and fourth chances), especially when He sees that an effort is being made to respond to Him.     

Muting the Negative Voices Connected to Imposter Syndrome

A couple of practical ways to mute the negative voices connected to imposter syndrome include talking to safe friends and/or trusted family. Ask them to help with processing successes so they can sink in and it can be recognized that they are legit. Talking and processing with a counselor can also be helpful, according to WebMD.

From a spiritual angle, a person can work on deepening their relationship with Christ through spending time in prayer and the Word. A nice starting place would be to look for people in the Bible who seemed to struggle with imposter syndrome (such as Moses, Gideon, and Esther), recognizing that God still loved them, and studying how He made a point of leading them into the purpose He had for them. 

Another helpful focus is for a person to delve more deeply into their identity in Christ. A great place to start with that one is Ephesians chapter 1, verses 1-14. A ministry called Cru offers a great study on identity in Christ. Click here to check that out. A really good Christian movie to check out that hits on identity in Christ is Overcomer. The trailer can be watched here.

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Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities.