Why I Hitch My Identity to Jesus
“I’m just not good enough.” “No one would love me if they knew what I’ve done.” I’m such a failure.” “Why can’t I be like other women?” Do thoughts like these plague you, sister? You’re not alone. Many women struggle with shame, doubt, and the fear of not being good enough. Many of us are afraid to let our true selves be seen and known. Deep down some of us believe we are imposters and live with shame, insecurities, and self-doubt. This “imposter syndrome” behavior makes us over-perform, people-please, try to be perfectionists, and never enjoy the freedom of knowing we are enough.
Imposter syndrome is a real condition. Research has shown that 70% of people may struggle with this. Imposter syndrome is the belief that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. It describes the psychological discomfort many women feel when acknowledging their value and abilities. This manifests itself in different ways but most women cite feeling like a fraud or an imposter, who is undeserving of their accomplishments, coupled with the anxiety of being discovered as a fake by their employers, colleagues, peers, and friends.
As beloved daughters of the King of Kings, and co-heirs with Christ, many of us live not as Princesses who are precious possessions of our Father but as outcasts, cast-offs, and castaways. We either don’t know, don’t believe, or have forgotten about our identity in Christ. In short, we don’t know who or whose we are.
Yes, at its core, imposter syndrome is an identity issue. When we are unsure of our identity, or when it is not rooted in God’s truth, we tend to grab hold of whatever seems to validate who we think we are. Our identities can be anchored in our accomplishments, our possessions, our good looks, our children, our marriages, our work, even our ministries. Or worse, we may believe the lies that we are unworthy, ill-equipped, unacceptable, damaged, or not good enough and go through life bound by our low-self-esteem.
The truth, sisters, is that we are complete in Christ regardless of our past, our failures, our mistakes, or our weaknesses. We are enough in Christ no matter how many things we can boast about in the world. Every good thing we cling to that we allow to define us, to make us feel complete, is fleeting, temporary, unsustainable. But when we cling to Jesus, our Rock, our Stronghold, and our Sure Foundation, our identity is secure. We are whole and complete. We are enough. Say it with me, “I am enough, in Christ!” If you struggle with negative self-talk, agree with 2 Corinthians 10:5 which states, “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.” Take those lies captive!
What I know to be true now is that by accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I am freed from relying on the false identities I packed on over time that made me believe my worth was in my performance. Galatians 5:1 says that “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Slavery, ladies, is any chain that keeps us bound from living in the freedom, fullness, and abundance God calls us to as his daughters. Slavery is all the ways we play small, dim our lights, or try to fly with our wings clipped. Slavery is believing the lie that because God knows of our sin, brokenness, misdeeds, or missteps, we have to work to make Him love us. God sees you, knows you, and loves you just as you are. He accepted you into His family of believers when you were steeped in your sin!
In Christ, we don’t have to imitate someone else or pretend to be what we’re not. We don’t have to people-please, perfect, or perform. We can come as we are, when we know whose we are.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 2: 8-9 that, “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” We can never boast in our works because none of us can be saved, made clean, redeemed, justified, or sanctified by them. Our works are as filthy rags to God. Yeah, filthy! Isaiah 64:6 says “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Praise the Lord that by faith, through grace, we are freed from performance-living because Jesus’ shed blood washed our sins away.
While there are many strategies we can use to combat imposter syndrome, the only permanent solution to the imposter syndrome issues that plague so many of us is knowing the truth of our identity in Christ. He and His finished work on the cross is the steady, firm foundation we must stand on that can withstand anything the world throws at us. We must shift our gaze from ourselves and others and fix our eyes on our Savior Jesus, the only unfailing, steadfast source of our identity. When we make Jesus everything, we can throw out the insecurity of performance-driven living and pick up the banner of confidence in our identity in Christ.
Natalie Jobity, MPhil, MBA, ACC, founder of The Unveiled Way, is a leadership and career coach, consultant, brand strategist, bestselling author, mentor, speaker, and facilitator who has earned a reputation as "The Brilliance Unveiler." She empowers female leaders to live in the fullness of their purpose and unveil their brilliance by leveraging the power of their strengths, expertise, and distinctiveness, so they make transformative impact in their sphere of influence.
Visit Natalie’s website to learn more about how she partners with leaders with her signature “Unveil Your Brilliance” program and her "Brand Your Biz Like a Boss" consulting service. While you’re there, join her Unveiled community and pick up your complimentary copy of her "Empowered to Lead: Seven Strategies to Help You Become a More Impactful Leader" guide.