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Imposter syndrome on the journey

Lynne Baab • Monday November 24 2025

Imposter syndrome on the journey

Recently, after the Sunday morning service at church, a man I know came over to talk to me. He reminded me that his home group is reading and discussing my little book, Two Hands: Grief and Gratitude in the Christian Life. He said they had just discussed Chapter Five, which focuses on a plethora of voices in our culture and inside ourselves that deny grief and gratitude.

He said the entire evening’s discussion focused on what I had written about imposter syndrome — two sentences! Everyone in the group had stories to tell about how they felt like an imposter in various settings, and how those feelings of insecurity and incompetence had impeded them. A couple of weeks later, another member of the group talked to me about how meaningful that conversation was to her. She said she never talks about the ways she feels incompetent because she’s afraid she’ll lose respect or even opportunities to do things she enjoys.

We can experience imposter syndrome at work, at church, in the neighborhood, or with friends and family members. At work, I might feel (and maybe sound) tentative giving a presentation because the listeners are higher in the job hierarchy, or they make more money than I do. With my sister-in-law, an outstanding cook, I might feel reticent about offering to bring a dish. With my neighbor, an outstanding gardener, I might feel ashamed that I hire someone to weed and mow our garden, so I avoid talking about my favorite plants. As someone who has always struggled with my weight, I have often felt I never really look well-dressed.

The imposter syndrome can have numerous effects. We may overwork or procrastinate. We may be unable to accept praise for our accomplishments or enjoy the fruit of our labors. Anxiety and stress are too-frequent companions.

Here are the two sentences I wrote that precipitated an hour of discussion among a group of people:

“Some people, both men and women, heard things in childhood and their teen years that led them into ‘imposter syndrome,’ a deep-seated worry that they will be exposed as a fraud or incompetent. This creates a constant state of hypervigilance that makes it very difficult to be aware of current thoughts and feelings.”

People can be hypervigilant for numerous reasons, including the imposter syndrome, always wondering what people think of us, feeling responsible for the well-being of others, and a drive to succeed or win every time. I love those words I wrote, that hypervigilance “makes it very difficult to be aware of current thoughts and feelings.”

Hypervigilance is exhausting. Hypervigilance divides our attention. We can’t focus on God’s gifts, enjoy them, and give thanks, because we are focused on something else. Many times, when we are in a hypervigilant state, we can’t even begin to notice God’s gifts. 

If anything in this post resonates with you, pause now and take a deep breath. Then a couple more.

If you have struggled with imposter syndrome, I’m sure you have tried various strategies. I’m sure you’ve had successes in letting go of that hypervigilant state. I hope you have had companions on the journey who have entered into your feelings and affirmed your competence.

Here are some suggestions about prayer for imposter syndrome.

Thank God for the times you have had confidence. Look back, find moments when you knew God was with you, strengthening and guiding you. Give thanks for those moments.

Thank the Holy Spirit for the times when the Spirit has given you a single focus on the things that matter most. Look back, find moments when you weren’t hypervigilant, when your attention wasn’t divided. Give thanks.

Thank Jesus for his companionship with you. Jesus is beside us as a companion, in front of us as a guide, within us through the Holy Spirit, and behind and beneath us, strengthening us and shoring us up. Give thanks for the moments when you have felt Jesus’s presence. Give thanks that Jesus is with you even when you don’t feel it.

Thank God for people who have supported and encouraged you. I am so grateful that God has placed us in communities, and we often find nurture there. 

Lord, you have searched us and known us. Thank you that you are present in the moments when we feel like an imposter, even if we don’t feel you with us. Thank you that you give us moments of deep peace, when we can lay down our tendencies to be hypervigilant. In this Thanksgiving season (in the United States, but relevant for everyone!), help us remember all the ways you have met us in our feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. Guide us into deeper trust in you for our identity and confidence.

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Next week: Jesus our way maker on the journey. Illustration by Dave Baab: downtown Seattle and Mount Rainier from Kerry Park.

In honor of Thanksgiving in the United States and so much suffering around the world, here's the first post in my series on grief AND thankfulness. The remaining 15 posts follow along. And here three of my favorite posts on thankfulness:

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