#127: God, grace + emotions: Practical grace when you feel not enough with Richella Parham

Every area of my life is exposed to the toxic element of feeling less-than.

In my writing, I feel like others are more reflective and thoughtful.
On staff at our church, I feel like everyone else in staff meeting is more spiritually mature.
In volunteering, I believe the other leaders connect better with the students.

So how can we handle feeling less-than in real life?

Richella and I talk through

The difference between insecurity and a lack of confidence and humility,
Healthy and practical ways to quit striving,
And how to embrace community when you feel less-than.

Key Quotes

“Insecurity is a feeling of a lack of assurance about my identity.” – Richella Parham
“We want to avoid pride and arrogance, and we want to cultivate the Christian virtue of humility. And we think that self-deprecation and abasement is the way to get there.” – Richella Parham
“If only we could think as highly of ourselves as God thinks of us.” – Richella Parham
“Any plan to better ourselves based on distorted vision will not lead to the outcome we desire.” – Richella Parham
“Our memories are present realities. They are things we’re dealing with right now.” – Richella Parham
“Vulnerability may lead to embarrassment. Embarrassment is a survivable event.” – Richella Parham
“No one’s demanding perfection from you today.” – Richella Parham

As Mentioned in the Podcast

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About Richella Parham

To help us in today’s conversation, speaker and the author of the award-winning book Mythical Me: Finding Freedom from Constant Comparison Richella J. Parham joins the show.

She serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Renovaré, a Christian spiritual formation ministry, and co-host of the Friends in Formation podcast.

With a birthmark covering more than a third of her body, Richella struggled from her earliest days with the feeling that she never measured up. She now applies her experience and training to help others break free from insecurity, clearing a path for struggling Christians to take hold of a life of confidence, compassion, and community.