A Fake

In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

AMANDA IS A SMART COOKIE! She graduated eighth in her class, yet for years she felt like a fake. She graduated from college with honors, and landed her first job in a male-dominated field, but she was full of fear:

“It is not like you can just go up to a coworker or boss and say, ‘You hired me to be an expert, but every time I make any decision, I second-guess myself. My paperwork all says I have the brains for this job, but I feel like such a fake. I am so afraid every time I have to make a decision or give an answer.’

“One night, driving home, I heard a speaker on Christian radio talk about women and self-esteem and how many women believe lies about themselves and are full of self-doubt. Then she said, ‘They feel like a fake.’ I couldn’t believe it—that was exactly how I felt! How did she know? As I listened, I learned many women feel this way. I wasn’t alone, but I was buying into Satan’s sham. And with God’s help, I could fight this battle!”

To battle negative thoughts, replace them with positive ones about God and his view of you. I like to paraphrase verses and string them together, like:

I have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be my confidence and will keep my foot from being snared.^a In him and through faith in him I may approach God with freedom and confidence.^b Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.^c I will approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need.^d This is the confidence I have in approaching God: that if I ask anything according to his will, he hears me. And if I know that he hears me—whatever I ask—I know that I have what I asked of him.^e I am convinced of better things . . . things that have to do with salvation.^f