See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!…
1 John 3:1 (NIV)

Some time ago I watched a concert on television of the singer Adele. In her chat to the audience she mentioned that she felt like an imposter. What she meant was that she felt unworthy of the fame and adulation she received from the audience.

Most of us never receive that kind of fame and recognition, but we too can become victims of imposter syndrome so that we never quite feel good enough in our Christian walk. The cause of imposter syndrome is usually culture and environment. Research points to family dynamics and the roles we learn early in life. We tend to live out what we believe about ourselves, which may, or may not be true.

Often our identity is in whatever role we play in our lives: our job, where we live, our financial status, even the church we belong to – I am what I do, I am what I have, I am what others say about me, I am whatever group I belong to. 

In John 1:12-13 we read concerning Jesus, ‘Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.’ Did you get that? Jesus gave us the right to become children of God. We don’t need to suffer imposter syndrome. Our identity is assured, not in our work role, not in our bank balance (be it great or small), not in any organisation, or place of worship. Our identity is in Christ alone. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 we read, ‘We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’.

If imposter syndrome takes hold of you, make it obedient to Jesus who died on the cross to justify our being. By the blood of Christ we belong. We belong in our calling. We belong in the body of Christ. Prayer
Our Father, let us not consider that we are anything less than what you have called us to be. We praise you and thank you that, because of Jesus, we truly are children of God. Amen