Navigating The ImpostorPrøve

The Uncertain General - Part 1 ”It’s just me! Everyone else is brave, bold, and has it all together!” “I’m afraid; therefore, I don’t deserve to be here.“ “What if everyone finds out I’m really a chicken?” The devil’s greatest trick is isolation. The more he can get us alone, the easier it is for us to feel like we are the only ones going through challenges. Everyone else seems like they have it together, but here you are...a fraud just waiting to be outed. Impostor Syndrome is a thing, and many of us live with it every day, not realizing we have it. We feel ill-equipped, unworthy, unsure, unprepared for greatness even though so many others see it in us. We make every excuse in the book and go just far enough, but stop before the edge of greatness. Then, we look at others and all the great things they were able to accomplish. They must have been super-confident and had it all together...right? I mean, look at Gideon! He beat a goliath-sized, steroid-eating, tech-advanced Midianite army of supervillains with only 300 of his boys carrying tiki torches and seashell horns. Yeah, let’s look at Gideon for a second. Gideon is hanging out, separating grain for his family to eat. But he’s doing it in a shallow pit because he’s hiding. If he does the work outside, where he can be seen, the Midianites might grab his food, because that’s what they had been doing in the town. An angel appears to Gideon and says, “Dude, you’re a strong warrior, and the Lord is helping you.” Gideon responds, “Pssshhh. Bro, you’re not even from around here. What news have YOU been watching?” The Bible says, then the LORD HIMSELF responds to Gideon, saying, “Gideon, you will be strong because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites.” Gideon looks around because he thinks he’s being punked. “Who? Me? My tribe is literally the weakest, and my family doesn’t even really like me.” The Lord reminds Gideon that He will help him to defeat the Midianites, but Gideon remains uncertain. He is uncertain because he is talking to an angel for the first time. He is scared because he realizes the miraculous nature of this assignment...as in, it would take a miracle for them to beat the Midianite supervillains. Why was the angel coming to him? Why was the Lord choosing him? Didn't God know He was a phony? Didn't the angel see him in a pit HIDING from the Midianites just get his food? What's your assignment? What questions are you asking about your mission? Why you, anyway? It's time to navigate the impostor!