Bible Passage: “’Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.'” (Judges 6:15 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Judges 6:1-24; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
“Imposter syndrome” is a commonly held belief that one isn’t truly qualified for what they do, and/or doesn’t deserve their success, and/or is going to be exposed as a fraud for what they’ve accomplished in life.
It’s really another term for shame—that persistent feeling that we’re never measuring up and that we’re not capable.
One study found that nearly two-thirds of men experience imposter syndrome in their careers, and countless more feel it as husbands, and especially as fathers.
In today’s story, Gideon struggles with the issue himself.
God has called him to greatness, to deliver Israel out of the hands of their oppressors, and the angel comes to tell him so.
But Gideon can’t believe it.
Even seeing the angel face-to-face, his first reaction isn’t gratitude for God’s goodness, power, or promise, but rather to focus on his own shortcomings.
“I’m nothing!” he says. “I am the least of the least!”
Interestingly, God doesn’t correct that notion. He doesn’t talk all about how amazing He thinks Gideon is, or that he is more than capable of doing all that God is calling him to.
When Gideon says, “I’m not qualified,” God responds:
“I will be with you” (Judges 6:16).
That was the ultimate solution to Gideon’s shame and imposter syndrome. It wasn’t to focus on his strengths vs. his weaknesses; it was about bypassing his weaknesses altogether in light of the great strength of Almighty God.
And of course, through God’s strength, Gideon would go out and do amazing things.
Imposter syndrome is the most natural thing in the world for a man to grapple with. We second-guess our skills, overemphasize our faults, and get stuck worrying that one day we will be exposed in our weaknesses.
Those weaknesses may indeed be real, but they’ve never been an issue for God. In fact, it’s through those weaknesses that His power shows up in a man’s life most clearly (2 Corinthians 12:1-10).
Christlike men push past the nagging and shaming voice of imposter syndrome, knowing that it’s never actually about us, what we can do or can’t do—it’s about God’s grace and power at work in us and through us, and because of that, like Gideon, we can do great things in Him.
Prayer: Lord, help me to embrace my weaknesses, knowing that they are the place that You show up most in my life. May they never keep from trying, or from trusting, as I put my hope not in my own abilities, but in You. Amen.
Reflection: In what area of life do you feel “imposter syndrome” the most? Take some time to pray into that today, giving it over to God and receiving His grace.
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