Imposter syndrome : A faith based intervention

Imposter Syndrome
 
A Faith Based Intervention
 
© Dr. Samaria M Colbert
 
Imposter syndrome is a strong feeling of inferiority despite proven success. It is the underlying belief that you don’t deserve what you have accomplished, despite your hard work. It is the internal belief that you are incompetent and will eventually be found out. It is the feeling of low self-worth, despite your hard work.
 
Imagine all the blood, sweat, and tears you have gone through to get to where you are only to struggle with the feeling that you simply aren’t good enough or undeserving. As in many things I write about there is an underlying spiritual issue as it relates to imposter syndrome. Anything that attempts to remove you from your purpose and have you question the place that God has put you is really the voice of the accuser. His agenda is to stop you from manifesting the promises of God through your chosen profession, ministry, and vocation. The good news is getting new information starts you on the course of believing what God has said and done through you is true and will continue to be. You are not successful by accident or happenstance. You are favored of God, it doesn’t mean it came easy but it did come. You don’t have to relinquish your promise because you don’t believe you belong.
 
Philippians 1:6 New King James Version
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Let’s start by talking about signs you struggle with imposter syndrome.

• You devalue yourself and your accomplishments “It’s no big deal.”
• You are waiting to fail, despite proven success.
• You struggle with the feeling of inferiority.
• You have a history of self-sabotaging your own success.
• Perfectionism.
• Fear that you won’t live up to others’ expectations.
• Your guarded in relationships, because you secretly fear being found out and then eventually rejected.
• You secretly struggle with low confidence.
• You overcompensate. Overcompensate means you take excessive measures in an attempt to correct or make amends for a perceived error, weakness, or problem.
• You struggle with self-doubt.
• You won’t go after opportunities even when they are presented to you because of your underlying insecurity. For example, the director of the company let you know that there is a leadership position opening up within your organization. You secretly struggle with fear and don’t go after the position even if others believe you are the right fit for the role.
• You compare yourself to others, while secretly putting yourself at an inferior position to them.

A Biblical Perspective on Imposture Syndrome:

• Imposter syndrome is really rooted in identity. Remember fathers provide, protect, and give identity. When you are not clear about who you are as a child of God, you struggle in this area. Reversing the effects of imposter syndrome has more to do believing what God the Father has to say about you.
• The root of rejection. It is a faith-based perspective that explores the underlying issue of rejection. The spirit of rejection is a spiritual concept where the accuser seeks to separate you from your identity in Christ Jesus. He does this by suggestions and causes you to question who you really are.
• Lack of trust in God.
• Self-reliance is an underling issue of false humility. When your identity is affirmed in Christ you recognize power doesn’t come from you it flows through you. You are a carrier of the glory of God, you don’t produce or create it, you are filled with it from God.

Philippians 4:13 New King James Version13 I can do all things through [a]Christ who strengthens me.

How to get free?

You must acknowledge your pain before the father. Remember God won’t heal you from what you don’t acknowledge. Acknowledgement puts you on the path to uprooting this false belief and then healing so you can walk in confidence.

Identify where the false belief began. Were you bullied? What happened? What was the event or series of events that taught you subconsciously you were not enough? Identify that false belief.

Then compare what you thought with what the word of God has to say about you. You’re going to have to make a habit of meditating on scriptures that will affirm yourself worth. Your transformation will come but not overnight.
Joshua 1:7 New Living Translation7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.
Remember ultimately God is the one who makes you successful, not your own self efforts. Once you put your hope and faith in God, he responds by making you successful.
Isaiah 40:29 New Living Translation29 He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.
 
Remember when you acknowledge your weakness before the father, he will respond by giving you strength.
 Deuteronomy 8:18 New Living Translation
18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.
Psalm 75:6-7 King James Version6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Hopefully you are seeing a recurring theme in Deuteronomy and Psalm, when our dependency is on God, he is the one that exalts us. The point is that imposter syndrome wants us to focus on ourselves but focus on God and you’ll be successful to others and within yourself.
 
God Bless
​
© Dr. Samaria M Colbert