Have You Ever Felt Like An Imposter?
“Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” Genesis 4:25 NIV
Come out, come out wherever you are. Remember the game of hide and seek you used to play as a kid? The seeker would count to 100 and say, ‘ready or not here I come.’ The object of the game was to find the best hiding place, turn out the lights and not be found by the seeker. If the seeker found you then you became it having to go find those in hiding. If you couldn’t be found then the seeker would say…..
“Come out, come out wherever you are.”
Have you ever felt like an Imposter?
Like you were playing a game of hide and seek only it wasn’t a game, it was your reality? At one point in our lives we all hide from something, whether its to cover up gray hair (to appear younger than we are) or a pesky blemish on our face. We all try to cover up our imperfections.
There have been so many times in my life where everything from the outside appears like its straight out of story tale when in reality I’ve been so desperately hurting on the inside. From a distance it looks like I have everything all together but really feel like any moment the life I’ve built is going to crumble and fall apart. I feel like one of those imposters who doesn’t expose their mess in front of others but instead keeps it hidden so no one will know.
At any moment someone is going to discover I don’t have it all together, nor do I have it all figured out. Can you relate?
Why do we hide?
I think the very nature of our genetic makeup predisposes us to hide. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, God gave them one command, Do not eat from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” Genesis 2:17. Well, we know how that all went down. Once Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden tree, they became ashamed of what they did and hid themselves from the presence of God among the trees in the garden when they heard God walking in the garden (Gen. 3:8).
The next part amazes me, God then calls out to them and asks them a question which he already knew the answer to–“Where are you?” Genesis 4:9. God was the one who created Adam and Eve, giving them life, did they really think they could hide from God? God is God and knows all things. There is no where we can hide that he doesn’t see us. There is nothing we can keep hidden from Him that he doesn’t already know.
“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:23-24 NIV
It’ s so amazing time and time again we think we are safer or better off if we hide instead coming into the presence of God in the first place. We try so hard to hide behind fake facades, perfectly manicured lives, masks of whom we think others will accept. And yet we are so weary from trying to keep up with an image that doesn’t even matter.
In my professional life I wear a mask for a living to help maintain the sterility of the room I’m working in. If one person enters the room without having the proper attire or their mask up to cover their face, there is a breech in the sterility of the room. There are days I’m thankful I get to hide behind my mask so people don’t know whether I’m smiling or having a bad day. Just as these masks protect the sterility of the room, our imposter masks protect us from others getting close to us and seeing the real version of ourselves.
These personas we hide behind aren’t really who we are at all. The imposter masks may help protect our fake image but in the long run only end up falling apart.
The masks we wear don't make it better, they enable us to live as imposters in Fakeville.Click To Tweet“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” Ephesians 4:25 NIV
It’s scary right? Exposing yourself to others, letting them know your flaws, your deficits, your imperfections? What if you let others in and they discover who you really are and they don’t accept you?
These are valid concerns and fears. We must surround ourselves with people whom we trust. Pray for God’s wisdom and discernment of who you should share your struggles with, whom you can trust.
Where are you?
When God called to Adam and Eve to come out of hiding, Adam told God he hid because he was naked. God then responded, “Who told you that you were naked?”
Who told you?
Who told you, you must be ashamed?
Who……. told………… you?
'But everything exposed by the light becomes visible--and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.' Ephesians 5:13 NIVClick To Tweet
Have you ever felt like an imposter?
Have Can I Pray For You?
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Great post Heather! I think we all hide behind a mask some times. Being real and vulnerable can be scary. But, I’ve found time an time again, there’s power in being transparent. God shows up and uses the very thing we felt like we wanted to hide.
Great post. I have found that vulnerability makes us relatable. God often uses our brokenness and the areas we try to hide to display His power for His Glory.
I came out of Mormonism and years later into a relationship with the Biblical/Historical Jesus. Boy, did I feel like an imposter for so long! I remember having a moment of panic one night in Bible study when I realized God was going to be tearing down my carefully constructed facades. (Eek!) Living transparently is the only way to live, and what He wants for each of us <3
Wow Carrie my whole family is Mormon and by the grace of God I was able to see God’s truth and stay in the transparency of his truth and grace! So glad we are able to live under the umbrella of his protection and grace when we allow his words to become alive and living in our lives and not based on what we do/our performances!
This is amazing. When we are transparent, we give God a chance to use even the bad for our good. We can’t hide from God.
Yes! What the enemy uses for evil God will use for good! The enemy has no power over us when we live in this truth!
In my 20’s I had perfected the wearing of the mask but just like you mentioned….it eventually fell apart into shattered pieces and my life crumbled as well. It was hard but much needed in order for me to get where I needed in my relationship with the Lord. This is a great post in guiding others in this area.
Yes we wear our masks for so long we don’t even know we are wearing them after awhile! I wish I could have written this to my younger self as well! Thank you for your comment! Many blessings to you my friend!
Thanks Susan! Yes he does!
This post is so full of truth! Thank you for shining light in dark places Heather 🙂
Thank you!
Hi Heather! What a great reminder to us that our worldly masks never hide who we truly are to Christ and to reach out to others when we those masks start to take over our true identities! Love your writing! So glad CBMM brought me here today!
Yes the enemy wants us to hide and keep our struggles hidden in the darkness. He has no power over us when we come out from behind our masks! Thank you for sharing, thanks Allison!