Known
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart.”
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
You knit me together in my mother’s womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Verses taken from: Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 139:1-3, 7, 9-10, 13-14, 16 & and Isaiah 43:2
If Psalm 139 can be summarised in one word, it would be known.
David writes about how we are known by God. Formed by God. Loved by God.
Yet we forget this.
We listen to that little voice that says otherwise and calls us imposters, frauds, and unlovable.
Knock knock.
Who is it?
Imposter.
Imposter syndrome occurs when you start doubting your accomplishments even though the evidence says otherwise; it's the fear of being exposed as a fraud. We all struggle with it or have struggled with it. No matter how sure you are of yourself, it creeps up on you every now and then, and you have to make a choice:
Become a perfectionist or
Enter a state of paralysis
Spoiler.
Both are bad.
Whether you choose to be a perfectionist or enter paralysis, both eventually lead to anxiety. We put up camp where we were only supposed to take a break, not make it our permanent home. We get so used to our campsite that moving on is overwhelming and that a state of paralysis sounds way better than the view we will get if we pack up and start moving again.
With imposter syndrome, our identity is under attack. So, how can we ensure a steadfast identity, and where does our identity even come from?
Fools look to the world as an inspiration for their identity. We all can be fools. We define ourselves according to our wealth, possessions, GPA, and successes. If we place our identity in these earthly things, we become slaves to them. We will continue to strive for perfection to obtain our status. All of that can be taken from us. Let’s not forget who we have to thank for our success. Yes, we were smart enough and worked hard enough to get into a good university or receive a promotion, but that does not mean we deserved it. Remember, others are just as talented, but you were the one they chose. That’s God. “Before you were born I set you apart.”
A quote by Tim Keller:
"Your future self will always see your present self as unwise and immature. That means you are currently a fool right now."
We cannot rely on ourselves or the world for our identity. We and others around us are fools. But we need someone to tell us who we are; after all, we are social beings. Therefore, it should be someone who knows us. Someone constant in their actions and wants the best for us. Who better than the Creator. Who was heartbroken by our sin and our separation from Him. The One who sent us Jesus.
God calls us citizens of heaven (Ephesians 2:19). Not frauds or imposters. If someone we esteem esteems us, we feel pretty good about ourselves. But God isn’t just someone. He is the Almighty God, and He esteems us. Our identity rests not on us or the world around us but on God. We can be confident in our identity because of who God is, what He has done for us, and what He says about us.
David knew that God was different from the other pagan gods. God knows us personally; there is no hostility from Him towards us. He does not call us failures when we fail, does not dangle a carrot in front of our noses. We can't sit down or stand up without God knowing about it. God knows our thoughts before we even speak them. He ordained our days before we were born.
So why do we live in fear? Why do we let our thoughts paralyse us? Knowing that the Almighty God knows us should be a comfort.
Knock knock.
Who is it?
Citizen of heaven.
