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Every person who intentionally works on personal development and begins to lead eventually faces Imposter Syndrome.

• What right do I have to lead this?
• Why should people listen to me?
• Who am I that anyone should follow me?
• Where can I hide until this blows over?
• How will I live up to their expectations?

Those are legitimate questions. It’s difficult to trust yourself when you step into a new role as a guide for others. But did you know the Bible had at least a couple of guys with imposter syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome in the Bible

I’m sure many of our Biblical forefathers felt like they weren’t worthy. Moses expressed his doubts in front of the burning bush. David might have experienced imposter feelings since his dad didn’t even bother to call him to dinner.

But two men caught my attention this week, probably because their responses to hearing God’s call were so similar.

Let’s start with Gideon. God’s angel found him hiding in a wine press threshing wheat.

¹² When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

¹³ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

¹⁴ The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

¹⁵ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

¹⁶ The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Judges 6:12-16

God called Joash’s son “mighty warrior.” Gideon let the angel know he was the least in his family, which was the smallest in the country. Even after he laid out the fleece and confirmed his calling truly was from God, he waited until dark to rip down the altar to a foreign god and build one for Yahweh. He didn’t even claim his victory. The townspeople had to investigate to see who disrupted their pagan worship. Imposter Syndrome at its finest.

Despite his misgivings, Gideon listened to God and led an army of 32,000 to defeat the Midianites. When the Lord told him to reduce the number by two-thirds, he gladly sent 22,000 home. And when Yahweh took the number to 300, he didn’t hesitate. To honor his trust, God let him hear the Midianite leaders’ dream that they would face defeat. That night, the small Israelite army overtook the huge army of Midian.

A second man had similar doubts. The man who would become King Saul seemed reluctant to accept his calling.

¹⁸ Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”

¹⁹ “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart. ²⁰ As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”

²¹ Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?”

1 Samuel 9:18-21

The Imposter Similarities

Do you notice the similarity between Saul’s and Gideon’s responses? I’m the least of the smallest. And neither was lying. Both were unlikely candidates for their callings. Before Saul returned to his father, the prophet of Israel anointed Saul as King. Still, when he got back home, he didn’t bother telling his uncle about his encounter with the seer. And seven days later, when all Israel gathered to meet their first human ruler, Saul hid in the supply wagon. It didn’t matter that he had received his calling from one who had proved himself to be a man of God. Saul held back, reluctant to accept his identity.

You are a mighty warrior. You are the king. You are my servant. You are ________________________________.

What has God said about you?

Gideon went on to win a battle, and the land had peace for forty years. Saul spent his life hiding in plain sight.

He got off to a bad start when he didn’t trust Samuel to show up on time and took the sacrifice into his own hands.

When a giant challenged Israel, Saul hid behind David, even though the King was a head taller than every other Israelite. King Saul leaned on his cousin Abner to lead the army into battles until David got old enough to take over. Then, Israel’s first king became jealous that the people loved the young man he appointed to win battles more than him. He ended his life with mental problems. I believe if he had the mental health resources we do today, he may have had a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.

The Imposter Differences

The question becomes: Why did Gideon and Saul’s stories have such different endings?

I believe it’s because Gideon embraced his calling and Saul abused his.

Trust drove Gideon while fear of being found out as an impostor drove Saul. Gideon believed if God called him, God would see him through, regardless of how unlikely a choice he was. Saul demonstrated he was leaning on his own strength when he made the sacrifice without waiting for Samuel.

Saul and Gideon both teach us about how to deal with imposter syndrome. And don’t think the lesson has anything to do with Gideon getting it all correct. He made some mistakes along the way as well. However, he showed us that followers of God have a distinct advantage in overcoming the malady.

Gideon believed if God called him a mighty warrior, he was one. It didn’t matter what he felt like. He understood, “I am what God says I am.” He let his heavenly Father define his identity.

Saul, on the other hand, never embraced his identity as king. He didn’t trust Yahweh to keep his promise. Saul felt as though he had to protect himself, so he let Abner and David fight his battles. He feared losing the crown more than he loved his sanity. He literally drove himself to mental illness trying to hold on to what God already said was his–something David refused to take from him even though the shepherd king knew he would take over after Saul died. In fact, he died trying to defend what no one wanted to take from him simply because he never embraced God’s calling.

What About You?

Gideon and Saul invite us to ask where we are in our relationship with Jesus. Are we embracing our calling, or are we hiding in the supply wagon? Imposter syndrome is a real thing. If you ever step into leadership, you’ll face it. But when we embrace the name God has given us we feel empowered. When we step into it without embracing God’s call, we fight for our position. Whether it’s at church, work, or in a community organization, the fear everyone faces becomes overwhelming if we try to lead on our own.

We’ve all met leaders who become bullies. I would guess it’s because they never embraced their calling. Some may have taken a position God didn’t give them. But most act badly because they fear someone will find out they feel inadequate, or they’re afraid someone more qualified will take their job.

It’s time to embrace your calling and trust that God will walk with you every second. He will fight your battles for you, so you have nothing to fear. We all feel lacking from time to time, but grounding ourselves in Christ reminds us our feelings aren’t always the truth.

I am who God says I am regardless of how I feel.

Create a Discussion

The thoughts you just read came from a Bible Discussion I created for Sunday School. Here are some questions you could use as conversation starters for your small group with a brief explanation of where my thoughts were heading with the question. We’re going to hit the highlights of Saul’s calling story in our group time. If your group members would like to prepare ahead of time, invite them to read 1 Samuel 9 & 10 as well as Judges 6 & 7

Read 1 Samuel 9:15-21

1. What were Saul and his servant doing that day? Why did they look for Samuel?
   —They had been looking for donkeys for three days and hoped Samuel could use his spiritual knowledge to tell them where the donkeys were.
2. What do you think about everything Samuel told Saul? What was strange about what he said? What might the servant have thought about Samuel’s reply?
   —What the people in your discussion group think never has a wrong answer. I thought the last phrase about Saul fulfilling the desire of Israel sounds strange and would have been intimidating to Saul. You could discuss how this might have made Saul feel.
3. How did Saul reply? Read Judges 6:12-16. How do Gideon and Saul’s replies compare?
   —Both men felt as though they were the least of the least. They didn’t feel worthy of their calling or the title they had been given.
4. How would you have felt if you were Saul or Gideon?

Read 1 Samuel 10:1 & 9-17

1. What was Saul’s official status when he returned home?
   —He was already anointed king. It’s not that he would be king. He just needed Samuel to present him to the nation.
2. What did he tell his uncle? Why?
   —He didn’t mention the kingship even though his uncle specifically asked, “What did Samuel say?” Saul hadn’t embraced his calling.
3. What does this tell us about how Saul felt about his calling?
   —He might not have liked it. He may have been trying to ignore it or run from it. He definitely didn’t embrace it.
4. What did God call Gideon? What did God call Saul? How would you feel about either of those titles? What has God called you?
   —God called Gideon Mighty Warrior. He called Saul King.

Read 1 Samuel 10:20-27

1. Who did Samuel call to Mizpah? How would the crowd influence Saul?
   ––All of Israel. Though there were probably simply representatives from every tribe, it still would have been a massive gathering.
2. Where was Saul? Why?
   —Saul was hiding with the supplies. He hadn’t embraced what God called him. He clung to fear instead of truth.
3. How intimidating would it be to be anointed the first king of a country?
4. Where would you be?

Compare Saul and Gideon

1. Though we didn’t read more of Gideon’s story, who knows what Gideon did as soon as he was certain his calling was from God?
   —-Though Gideon did throw out the fleece to make sure it was definitely God, as soon as he felt certain, he started obeying. Fear pushed him to hide in the dark, but he still did what God told him to do. He tore down the altar and built one for God. Then he led the nation into battle with the Midianites and obeyed God to reduce his army from 32,000 to 300.
2. Though we didn’t read it today, how did Saul face his calling? How is this different from Gideon?
   —Saul never embraced his calling. He refused to come forward when Samuel called. He disobeyed God by offering a sacrifice he wasn’t authorized to offer. He put David in front of Goliath instead of going out himself. He put Abner in charge of the army instead of leading them himself. He let fear drive his actions when he knew David would be the next king.
3. What’s the main difference between the two men?
   —Saul was driven by fear. Gideon was driven by truth.
4. Though we didn’t read it today, does anyone know the end of Saul’s story?
   —-Saul hired David to play harp for him to subdue the evil spirits in his head.
5. How did his refusing to embrace God’s calling on his life contribute to this?
   —Fear of loss drove him to become mentally ill.
6. What does this tell us about the blessings available when we embrace God’s calling?
   —While obedience doesn’t guarantee a problem-free life, it does mean that God will go with us into our battles. We have freedom because we live in the truth.