Why the Solution to Imposter Syndrome Isn’t Greater Confidence
By Joanna Meyer
“I still have a little imposter syndrome… It doesn’t go away,
that feeling that you shouldn’t take me that seriously.”
— Michelle Obama, Becoming
Have you ever struggled with imposter syndrome?
It’s that nagging inner voice that whispers you’re not as smart or capable as people think you are. Or the fear that one day you’ll be exposed as a fraud, despite evidence that says you’re qualified for the work before you.
Research suggests that as many as 70% of people will experience imposter syndrome at some point in their lives.
I certainly have.
Several years ago, I traveled to the San Francisco Bay Area for a speaking engagement, where I met with accomplished entrepreneurs and executives from companies like Microsoft, Nike, and Meta. These women stewarded more money and power than I may see in my lifetime, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I didn't belong in the room.
I know I'm not alone. Whenever I meet with groups reading the Women, Work, & Calling book, the conversation inevitably turns to the chapter on imposter syndrome.
Our instinct is to fight these feelings by building confidence. Read another leadership book. Earn another credential. Find someone to reassure us that we're capable.
But Scripture offers a different response.
God rarely addresses human inadequacy by convincing people they are more impressive than they think. Instead, he delights in empowering unlikely people to accomplish his purposes through his strength rather than their own.
Apart from Christ, we are imposters. None of us stands before God on the basis of our own merit. Isaiah reminds us that "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). Yet through Christ, we are not defined by our inadequacy but by his righteousness. As Paul writes, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
This gospel paradox frees us. We don't have to pretend we're enough because Christ is enough for us. We are beloved imposters, invited into God's work of healing and renewing the world.
We see this pattern throughout Scripture. Rahab—a foreigner and a prostitute—risked her life to protect the Israelite spies (Joshua 2, 6). God wove her complex story into his redemptive plan, placing her in the lineage of Christ and honoring her courageous faith (Matthew 1; Hebrews 11; James 2).
Mary Magdalene, once delivered from demonic oppression, became one of Jesus' closest followers and the first witness to his resurrection (John 20). The early church would remember her as the "apostle to the apostles" because of her faithful testimony.
The answer to imposter syndrome isn't manufacturing greater self-confidence. It's trusting the God who calls imperfect people, equips them by his grace, and accomplishes his purposes through them. In Christ, we can hold the tension between our God-given gifts and our genuine dependence on him.