Could your self-doubt actually be a spiritual battle in disguise?
Taking a step toward your big dream puts a bullseye on your back that the enemy cannot ignore. That’s why it is so important to equip yourself with the truth of God’s Word and put in place an action plan that will help you fight back when imposter syndrome returns.
Because it’s not just a mindset hurdle; it’s a spiritual battle the enemy loves to use to keep Christian women stuck on the sidelines.
IF YOU’VE EVER FELT UNQUALIFIED FOR YOUR DREAM, THIS IS THE EPISODE FOR YOU!
In this episode, you’ll learn:
🛡️ Why fighting imposter syndrome is a spiritual battle, not just a mindset issue
📖 How Scripture offers a real, lasting antidote to the lies you hear
🔁 The critical shift from “trying harder” to standing on God's promises
Whether you’re procrastinating out of fear, spinning in doubt, or believing the lie that you’re not “enough,” this episode will help you name the real issue and turn toward the only truth that stands firm.
You weren’t meant to fight this alone or in your own strength. God has already given you what you need to move forward in confidence, rooted in who He says you are.
So press play, and let’s get to the truth together.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Doors are OPEN for Dreamers Unleashed
If you’re tired of imposter syndrome sabotaging your dream, if you’re weary of the scornful voice of shame and inadequacy, and you want to experience VICTORY over imposter syndrome like my other Dreamers Unleashed students, then you should join us this summer.
You’ll find all the details to register at: https://www.merrittonsa.com/dreamersunleashed
CONNECT WITH MERRITT:
Website || Facebook || Instagram || Let’s Talk
Scripture:
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
~Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
~ Matthew 7:11 (NIV)
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
~ 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NLT)
God’s marvelous grace imparts to each one of us varying gifts. So if God has given you the grace-gift of prophecy, activate your gift by using the proportion of faith you have to prophesy. If your grace-gift is serving, then thrive in serving others well. If you have the grace-gift of teaching, then be actively teaching and training others. If you have the grace-gift of encouragement, then use it often to encourage others. If you have the grace-gift of giving to meet the needs of others, then may you prosper in your generosity without any fanfare. If you have the gift of leadership, be passionate about your leadership. And if you have the gift of showing compassion, then flourish in your cheerful display of compassion.
~ Romans 12:6-8 (TPT)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
~ Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
PIN IT FOR LATER:
The unedited transcript for this episode of The Devoted Dreamers Podcast follows:
Hey Dreamer — before we jump in, this is a special replay from the Devoted Dreamers archives. This summer I’m kicking off the next cohort of Dreamers Unleashed – my course on Exchanging Imposter Syndrome for God's Promises – so I’m bringing back some of my most relevant episodes about overcoming fear and imposter syndrome because naming these challenges is the first step toward walking in freedom with a God-shaped dream.
If you’re feeling stuck, doubting your abilities, wondering if you’re really cut out for this dream God has given you... these episodes are for you!
And if you want to go deeper, Dreamers Unleashed is opening soon — keep listening all the way through to the end for more details about how you can join us this summer to start experiencing the freedom for which Christ has set you free.
And now, here’s today's episode!
Hi, I'm Merritt Onsa and I'm here to coach you through the journey of pursuing a God shaped dream. And you're listening to the Devoted Dreamers podcast, the place where you're going to hear real life stories of Christian women who are just a few steps ahead of you, pursuing their dreams and facing their fears, battling attacks from the enemy who wants you to believe that you don't have what it takes or that someone else has already beat you to it.
You are not alone in this.
We've all been there. And spoiler alert. This level of discouragement is a tired out, washed up scheme of the enemy. And the good news is once you see it for what it is, you cannot unsee it. That's why I'm here to come alongside you and coach you through the stages of pursuing a God-shaped dream and provide you with examples from women who have gone before you, as well as some tactical strategies to get you past overthinking and into action.
Keep listening and get ready to step outside your comfort zone. Run after your dream and together we're going to build a community of like-minded women who are here to finally pursue our God-shaped dreams.
Let's get into today's episode.
Hey Dreamer. Today we are talking about conquering Imposter syndrome with God's powerful word, with the scripture, with the truth of the Bible and if you are struggling with imposter syndrome, and I'm guessing if you clicked on this episode, there's a good chance you have, or you are right now struggled with imposter syndrome, I want you to know that you are not alone.
In fact, I am a fellow struggler.
And as much as the Enneagram one in me really wrestles with saying that out loud, I have been encouraged again and again by listeners how important it is for you to know that I've been there, that I've tackled and wrestled with some of the same types of things that you're wrestling with right now. Because part of what makes it even harder is when you feel like you're all alone in this, that nobody else has ever been through this, or it feels like you're the only one who's struggled in this way.
So I am here to tell you, even in prepping to record this very episode, I can look back at the last week or so and see that I have been experiencing the impact of imposter syndrome and what that impact can do as you make steps into your dream.
And so I'm talking about this right now because I'm experiencing it right now and I want you to have freedom from it.
And so for me in this last week has looked like questioning: do I have anything valuable to say? Or feeling like tonight and yesterday as I was working on this episode, feeling like I needed a script in order to, “get it right” so I didn't mess it up.
I so easily forget to trust the outcomes of anything that I do to my Father in heaven. And then getting caught up in how I feel about something versus what I know to be true and solid rock, the foundation, the truth of God's word.
But part of facing Imposter syndrome is experiencing all of that, that whole list that I just mentioned, and then taking action anyway, it's how we start to get through it.
So that's my little nugget here for you right at the beginning. That this podcast is a visible example of fighting Imposter Syndrome, of taking action despite how I actually feel about taking that action and then trusting that God is going to use it for his glory, however he wants to do that that is not up to me.
And so thank you for being here for episode 272.
Welcome to the Devoted Dreamers podcast. Yes, I am here to coach you through the journey of pursuing a God shaped dream. And I'm doing it along with you, alongside you. I'm just a few steps ahead of you and if you have been listening for a while, but haven't taken action on your dream this is gonna be the episode for you.
We are gonna talk all about imposter syndrome today because I feel it is one of the greatest barriers keeping women from stepping into their dreams. And that hurts my heart. And I know that it hurts God's heart too, to see his gifted, beautiful, talented women that he's given those gifts to sitting on the sidelines and thinking, I'm just not good enough to do this, God. So I'm not going to.
I'm either going to wait until, I “feel good enough” or, or have enough training or experience or whatever it is, or feel like I've been called out into it. Instead of what I think he wants for us is stepping out in faith and believing that he's going to catch us, that he's going to carry us when we struggle and feel insignificant and insecure about all of these things.
So if you felt that God nudge towards a dream, then imposter syndrome is very likely part of your story. It's maybe a part of your dreaming that you've wanted to keep quiet. Maybe there's a bit of guilt you feel for not starting and fully stepping into your dream yet, or possibly shame involved in some of the thoughts you've had as you consider a step forward, because you know you were made for more. You're just not quite sure how everyone else has beat you to it thus far.
So we're going to talk about as much of that as I can cover in 20ish minutes on the podcast today.
And then at the end, I want to tell you about an opportunity that is available to you right now for this summer where you can make a choice to invest in yourself and your God shaped dream so you can finally learn some proven strategies to ditch imposter syndrome so that your dream can thrive.
So let's start here with a little bit of a definition.
What exactly is imposter syndrome? You could look up the definition in the dictionary. I have done this, but I’ve found that it's actually far more helpful to consider what imposter syndrome might sound like in your own head, because it might be different for you than somebody else. It might be very different than the dictionary definition.
So, for example, imposter syndrome can sound like: I am not enough, or like I'm just pretending at this thing that I'm doing, or I'm pretending to be confident, or if anything is going well, it has nothing to do with my skills or abilities. I'm just lucky.
Or maybe it's that you feel like: I don't have what it takes for people to take me seriously. Or what if you're creating something, you're investing a lot of time and energy into a creation and something you're making and the question might come, what if no one wants this?
Or you're planning an event and you're like, what if no one shows up? Or if I just tried harder, or if I were just more like this other person, then maybe it could be successful.
A lot of times it can be: I don't have the skills or the education or the training to do this thing that I've been dreaming of.
Whether you've heard these precise words in one of these ways or not, it's not all that difficult to see the impact imposter syndrome can have on the dreams we have not begun because of the suggestion that you're not the right person. Or maybe it's not the right time and you're not ready, or this has already been done.
Surely these thoughts are going to keep your dream hidden. They're at least going to keep you feeling doubtful or insecure about your ability to do these things.
But it might surprise you to hear imposter syndrome can still threaten the dreams that you're already working on through discouragement, by sabotaging your motivation, or by convincing you that you really are unqualified for this dream. Especially if the circumstances you're experiencing might illustrate that things are going a little bit slower than you hoped, or that you've hit a rocky path on this journey.
And what I want you to hear today is this: that there are just two things you need to believe to battle imposter syndrome, to battle all the different versions of that voice.
Number one, is that God has more for you than you can imagine.
And number two, he has already provided the tools you need to get over this debilitating threat to your God-shaped dreams. And we're going to talk about those tools and how you can strengthen your resolve with the power of God's word this summer. More about that in a minute.
***
How long have you had this dream but you can’t seem to get past the voice that says: you have no business pursuing this, or that you’re going to be discovered as a fraud, or maybe that someone else is already doing it better!
This is IMPOSTER SYNDROME, and it has kept you and your dream in hiding for far too long.
That doesn’t have to be the end of the story though, because I’m going to give you 5 steps right here to help you get past it.
1. You have to understand the source of that voice,
2. Then you need to examine where your strength and hope actually come from so that you can
3. Shine the light of truth on those lies,
4. Finally, you surround yourself with a supportive community where you can be honest about this struggle, and
5. Get some tools in your toolbelt to fight BACK against imposter syndrome
That’s how you will finally find the courage to let your God-given light shine through the gifts and talents He’s given you.
And you know what? We need your gifts. They’ve been uniquely chosen, selected by God for good work in the world. We need you to not fall prey to imposter syndrome any longer.
And if that’s something you’re ready to tackle, or even considering, the doors are open right now for Dreamers Unleashed, this is my course and group coaching program to help you shut down the power imposter syndrome has had over you.
And I’m opening it up to a new cohort that will start this June.
You can learn more and register at: https://www.merrittonsa.com/dreamersunleashed
Let me teach you how you can step forward in the face of these threats. And, once you do, the power they’ve had over you will diminish in no time!
This is what we do inside Dreamers Unleashed and this June is your chance to join us! I won’t be offering the course again in 2025, so learn more and sign-up today https://www.merrittonsa.com/dreamersunleashed.
***
First, I want to speak to the person who's questioning whether this is the voice that you're actually hearing, like how else might you know if you have imposter syndrome?
And I just want you to try this on for size. Just a couple of examples that you might relate to. So you might be the kind of person who spins your wheels with doubt. Like maybe you purchased a course or some sort of manual or book to learn something that you don't already know how to do. And you know that you need this skill or this understanding in order to truly step into your dream. And maybe it's something technical that you've got to figure out.
You've got to figure out how to write a business plan if you're starting a business, whatever it is. But every time you have an opportunity to pull out that course or to pull out that manual and begin to learn, you decide this would be a fabulous time for a Target run. And that book or that course, you don't actually ever pick it up to step into it.
So I'm calling that the spinning your wheels with doubt. Because there's always something better to do than to figure out the thing that you need to know in order to begin.
Or maybe this might ring more true for you: You have got a list of to dos from that one day a couple months ago that you felt super inspired about your God-shaped dream. But you cannot bring yourself to sit down and pick one little item to start because they all feel enormous, so you end up doing nothing.
And then you belittle and ridicule yourself for it. You might even be ridiculing yourself for it without realizing you're doing it. We do this like beating ourselves up thing almost subconsciously. If you've gotten into the practice of that self-shaming, self-doubt, self-flagellation, that it can happen without you even initiating that kind of thought on your own.
And I get it, I've done both of these things. This like spinning my wheels with doubt or having this like beautiful list of ideas that just sits on the shelf, sits in a notebook somewhere that I might lose and find five years later. This has happened to me more than I care to admit.
And actually, I did this with this very episode. I kept putting it off thinking that a day was going to come when I would feel more motivated to record it than I did on that particular day. And the truth of the matter is you're never going to discover that day that you feel more motivated. Right?
And I think what we are forgetting in these moments of self-doubt and procrastination and choosing to go on a Target run instead of doing the thing that we know we need to do. What we're forgetting in these moments is who we are. And we're also forgetting whose we are, who we belong to.
Because if God knit us together in our mother's womb, like it talks about in Psalm 139, and if God gives good gifts to his children, Matthew 7:11, if those gifts are often spiritual in nature and related to specific abilities that we are meant to use for his glory and for the good of his kingdom, that's from 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, then it has to be that his hand is upon our dreams.
Our dreams are his dreams.
But when we struggle with imposter syndrome, it means either we've gotten out of practice of trusting him for that which we cannot see, or we still need to learn it in the first place.
And that is why it is so important that we put in place, as our first defense against imposter syndrome, the Truth of God's Word.
You've heard about the concept of a quiet time. Reading the Bible, praying, talking to God, listening for his response. But what I'm talking about is not just any quiet time. His Word is living and active. Yes, the Bible tells us this, and we can believe it and trust that it's true. And we can apply God's Word directly to what we are experiencing in our own lives to strengthen our resolve and our ability to trust him in the midst of the things that we cannot see. The outcome of our dreams. Like what he's going to do one year, five years, 10 years from now with our dreams.
And the way that we do this most effectively is in trusted community with one another, with other sisters in Christ. It's why I've built the habit of building community into pretty much everything I do these days.
I've moved in the last few years from one-on-one coaching to group coaching experiences because it helps exponentially more, so much, to share about your own personal experience, to listen to others share about theirs, so that you would know that a) you are not alone, and b) that when you witness others experiencing hope and freedom that you are spurred on to discover it for yourself as well.
Unfortunately, if you're wrestling with imposter syndrome, the world wants you to believe that you can overcome it in some other ways. Like just pull up your bootstraps, sister. Or try harder to believe in yourself. Like go look at your resume, look at all the things you've already done and then expect to just “feel better” as a result of this list of accomplishments or that you would work harder to prove yourself worthy of the calling or the project.
But as believers in Christ, that thinking is opposed to the gospel. The gospel that says Jesus did the work, he did the work on the cross, and we are fallen and that we won't get it right. And that any transformation that occurs in us is actually due to the work of the Holy Spirit within us. So when the world tells you that you are enough, the gospel tells us that in its place, actually Jesus is the one who is enough.
And that's not only good enough for me, that is the best news I've ever heard in my life, that Jesus is enough. And that I no longer have to live a life of proving myself to myself, to God, or to others, because he already knows absolutely every single thing about me. And he carries me through the darkest of depths and the highest of highs.
My friend, if you are deep in the struggle of imposter syndrome, or in despair or darkness, you're in the muck and the mire with the poisonous thoughts about who you are or what qualifications you lack that disqualify you from walking in the light that you've been given as a child of God, this is what I want you to hear.
So if you've gotten distracted, come on back to me. Hear this today. Hear these truths: that you can correctly understand the source of your value and worth as a daughter of the King. That you can identify the world's way of tackling imposter syndrome and see it for what it is. You can see why it doesn't work. And replace those empty strategies with the truth of God's word.
And you can begin to see the enemy's strategies for what they are and refuse to let him keep you and your light hidden from the world. You can learn how your gaps, your lack, give glory to God and allow you the freedom to follow your dream despite what you don't have. And you can be liberated from condemnation that accompanies fear of failure or fear of rejection. And instead live in the freedom promised in Jesus. And you can do it in the arms of your Savior.
In case you're the one sitting there asking, Merritt, how can I do this? How can I even begin? I've got an answer for you. I have opened the doors to Dreamers Unleashed, my Imposter Syndrome small group program. And here's what you're going to get when you join us for Dreamers Unleashed this summer.
We'll be meeting every other week with regular facilitated zoom calls full of biblical teaching plus space for you to process and discuss what you're learning with other Christian women.
I've also got a private exclusive Facebook group where you can connect with other Dreamers throughout the study and homework to enrich your learning and provide practical tools you can use long after the study is over.
I've also got extra credit homework for the dreamers who want to take some active steps toward a dream while you're also tackling Imposter Syndrome. I actually think this is incredibly helpful to have some action steps that you've been avoiding and using this as an opportunity to step into those things while you're getting the coaching on how to defeat imposter syndrome in the midst of it.
And if you want to go deeper than just the seven calls with the small group of Dreamers Unleashed students, you could choose the VIP option, and what you'll get, in addition to what I've already mentioned, is one on one coaching with me to discuss your particular dream or the goal that you want to pursue or for help figuring out your dream in the first place.
Finally, I don't want you to just take my word for it. I actually want you to hear some of the incredible feedback that I got from the spouse of a participant at the very tail end of our last Dreamers Unleashed call, which this has never happened before, but what this guy says sums it up so beautifully. So I want you to hear it from him.
I think my spouse wanted to say something.
Hey everybody, my name is Dwayne. I'm Angel's spouse. Just so thankful for this group.
I don't know who said it earlier that you know, two months ago they were in a different place than they are now. My wife was totally there two months ago. She didn't have confidence in herself. She didn't. Not that she was lost in her faith, but she just didn't really have her confidence and she didn't really know which way was up, which way was down. She was questioning everything and just going through this imposter syndrome Bible study with y'all weekly, it has just grown and built with each and every week and just having the ability to see a smile on her face and just come back and want to share and just talk about it and have an hour-long conversation about it and just going through the motions of am I talking too much? I'm like, no, just keep telling me about it. I love hearing about it.
You know, just also heard somebody say that they don't want it to end. Like it doesn't have to end. Like every one of these relationships in here is what you make of it. Reach out to each other. You know, just cause maybe this Bible study is over doesn't mean you can't reach out to one another. I just want to encourage y'all. Whatever God leads y'all to, whatever door he opens, I just pray that you just continue to push forward, reach out, put it in his hands and just walk through whatever door that he opens for you with fearlessness and just love. Keep yourself eyes focused on God and you will definitely, the enemy will come, but you'll be prepared.
You'll have that body of armor on and you'll be able to fight against it together. You're never meant to be alone. You're supposed to do it together. And just praying for you guys. I love you guys. Thank you for what you've done for my spouse.
Maybe today’s episode stirred something in you. If you recognize yourself in the struggle against fear or imposter syndrome don’t stay silent, sidelined, or small.
I want you to join Dreamers Unleashed – it’s part live-teaching, part group coaching experience – it’s designed to help you silence self-doubt and imposter syndrome so that you can start taking bold, faithful steps on your God-shaped dream.
Enrollment is open now but closing soon because we start the live course together the first week of June.
Head on over to https://www.merrittonsa.com/dreamersunleashed to enroll today. There is tremendous hope for you being able to get over imposter syndrome, and I would be honored to walk this journey with you.
This is your chance: Your dream matters. I hope you’ll take this opportunity to walk forward with God, with sisters in Christ, so that you can be equipped by the One who called you to pursue the dream He’s given you.
It would be my honor to support you through the steps of renewing your mind with truth, of building strong community for yourself so that you can find the courage to step into your purpose and your God-shaped dream.
I cannot wait to meet you and I eagerly await what the Lord is going to do to make you unrecognizable from where you are today.
He can do it.
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