Fakers unite!

Have you ever heard the phrase “fake it til you make it?” Yeah, we probably all have. Have you ever felt like all you were doing is faking it? Or maybe just making it up as you go? Does that make you feel less than? Like maybe you are an imposter trying to fake it long enough so that no one will notice? You’re not alone. And you’re likely completely wrong in how you feel.

There are so many things I could say here. Most of it would be something about stop playing the comparison game. Too often, you feel this way because you’re comparing what you do to what someone else does that you look up to. Would it shock you to think that those people that you look up to are likely doing the exact same thing? They are probably looking to someone “better” than they are and aspiring to be like them. For all you know, they are looking up to you! Mind blowing isn’t it?

There’s so much truth in that in the field I work in. The truth is, there are no super incredible heroes of church media ministry that should be hailed and put on a pedestal as one of the greats. Nah, the real truth is that we are all figuring it out as we go. There may be some things that you haven’t learned yet that someone else has. There may also be things that you have learned that someone else hasn’t. I’ll go a step further and say that there ARE those things. And that’s ok.

Each church is unique. Big or small, east or west coast. Northern or Bible Belt, doesn’t matter. Every church has a unique culture. There are things we do in our church that my closest friends would never do. Same for them. They do things we wouldn’t even consider. Staff dynamics, geographic intricacies, cultural norms all play roles in what we do and what we have learned. There’s one big thing that we need to remember when we think about these types of subjects. God equips us for what He wants us to do.

That’s something that should supersede any concerns we have that we aren’t good enough. Or that we aren’t smart enough. We are exactly where we are supposed to be because God is sovereign and guides our path and determines who we come in contact with and what lessons we learn to get us where we need to be. And He will continue to send you into situations and circumstances until you learn what it is He wants you to learn. God equips.

The last 18 or so months of the dreaded season of COVID-19 should have been a super obvious lesson. Our pastor said it will be very revealing. It will reveal our strengths and our weaknesses. From what I have seen, those people that thought they knew it all and knew everything to were the ones that struggled to find their way. Those of us that just said, “ok, now what?” and jumped in to try to figure it out because they accepted that they didn’t know everything are the ones that succeeded.

Your experiences can give you wisdom to pull from. They can give you a basic understanding and base of knowledge to put into practice. But that’s not you. That’s God. God equips. He equipped you by putting you in a place to learn and grow and have those experiences. Don’t, for a minute, think that is from man or self. Don’t look at others and question if you’re as good or smart or whatever. They were given different experiences than you. But ultimately, God equips.

Do you need to repent of questioning God’s wisdom in placing you where you are? Do you need to ask forgiveness for not trusting that God would and IS equipping you for what you need to do? Do you need to open your eyes to the lessons that He has been trying to make clear to you so that He could use you? God equips. He equips me and He equips you. Let Him.