{"id":59098,"date":"2021-03-29T12:11:12","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T17:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites-stage.josh.org\/main\/?p=59098"},"modified":"2025-08-06T13:07:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T18:07:20","slug":"god-accepts-the-imposter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites-stage.josh.org\/main\/god-accepts-the-imposter\/","title":{"rendered":"Why God? He Accepts the Imposter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Imposter Syndrome. I know it well.<\/b><\/h2>\n

At the start of Covid, I attended a wedding and got exposed to a guest who unknowingly had the virus. I had to quarantine for two weeks. It felt like my world was crashing down, in part because I couldn\u2019t spend time with my fianc\u00e9e, Hannah. But we made the best of it: every night we would crack open our computers and FaceTime for hours.
\nI\u2019d like to share with you the highlights from one of our discussions. It changed my life — and it could change yours.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"imposter\"
Why God? blog #hurthealedwhole<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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For 50+ years, Josh McDowell<\/span><\/a> Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God\u2019s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research<\/span><\/a> to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Imposter Alert\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I know what you\u2019re thinking: \u201cI get that you\u2019re in love, but what could you possibly<\/em> talk about for hours <\/span>every<\/span> single night?<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/i>
\nWell, one thing we spent a lot of time discussing were two relationship books by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn, titled For Men Only<\/i><\/a>\u00a0and For Women Only<\/i><\/a><\/span>. <\/span>Hannah and I want to enjoy a great marriage that glorifies God, so we\u2019ve been reading everything we can get our hands on about how God has uniquely created man and woman. <\/span>
\nAs I began reading aloud from Chapter 3 of For Women Only<\/i><\/span>, I looked up to see Hannah taking vigorous notes. I smiled, grateful that she truly wants to fully understand and love me. <\/span>
\nBut then I began to squirm. <\/span>Because the chapter began talking about male imposter syndrome, a topic I know all too well. <\/span>
\nIt took only a second for the familiar feelings of shame to rise up. Tears welled in my eyes as my stomach churned at the old lie that flooded my thoughts: I\u2019m not enough<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Imposter Syndrome: A psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud.<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Feeling the Fraud<\/strong><\/h2>\n

My fear of not being enough has plagued me my entire life. (Perhaps you can relate?)<\/span>
\nFor me, the fear began in high school, when a friend told me that <\/span>girls would never like me<\/span><\/a> simply because I was me<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span>
\nWhy did I listen to him? Because I struggle with being seen as smart and capable. I am well aware of my weaknesses and failures, but I\u2019d rather keep them to myself.<\/span><\/em>
\nAs a pastor\u2019s kid, I always felt the expectation to be perfect to be accepted. <\/span>I secretly struggled with an addiction to porn<\/a> at that time; I remember thinking, \u201cIf my parents or the kids in my youth group find about this, <\/span>they won\u2019t believe I have a real relationship with Jesus.\u201d<\/span>
\nI still<\/em> often walk around with the fear of being found out for being a fraud. I don’t want Hannah to view me that way. <\/span>
\nSitting there, afraid to look into her eyes, all I could think was,<\/span> \u201cWill Hannah keep loving me, if she realizes how weak I really am?<\/span><\/i>
\nHannah provided the answer.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAustin, there is nothing<\/i> you can do or say that will cause me to think less of you. I am so sorry you feel this way. I\u2019m not going anywhere; I love you.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Freed to Be Authentic<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In that moment, Hannah gave me the security of showing up as my authentic<\/a> self.\u00a0<\/span>Her words reaffirmed her commitment to love me like God does: <\/span>fully known<\/span><\/a> and fully accepted.\u00a0<\/span>
\nThe promise of <\/span>Romans 8:35-39<\/a>:<\/span>
\n\u201cWho shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, \u201cFor your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.\u201d No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. <\/span>For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/em>
\nBecause of my worth in Christ<\/a>, I don’t need to live as an imposter. Because He fully loves and accepts me, I can better affirm and love others. Especially Hannah. <\/span>
\nSince those two weeks of nightly FaceTime chats, <\/span>I have gained enormous confidence from Hannah\u2019s respect and support. Her love pushes me to love and meet her needs, too.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nProverbs 31:10<\/a> wisely notes, “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” <\/strong><\/span>We’re getting close to our wedding date, but I\u2019ve already received the best wedding gift I could wish for: Hannah!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Next Steps<\/h2>\n