How do we encounter our suffering without rushing ourselves through to God’s goodness? What is self-sufficiency really? How can we show our “honest sadness” to others? 

Author K.J. Ramsey answers these questions and more in the fourth episode of our Spiritual Health series. Through this series, we’ll walk through 5 spiritual disciplines: 

Key Quotes

  • “Our Christ-emulating posture toward suffering needs to be one of with-ness.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “It requires the sufferer and the friend to have courage to bear the awkwardness, the discomfort of our limitation that we’re human.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “That desire to fix all of our own problems often is rooted in deep shame, that the broken and imperfect parts of ourselves are not actually worthy of love.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “Every single part of us is already loved in Christ.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “Self-sufficiency is our attempt to deal with our shame and remain lovable.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “That’s always been the story: God comes toward us.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “You deserve to be known. Do not give up on being known.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “A lot of messaging in Christian culture is about evaluation rather than embrace of where we are and who we are.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “A big part of growing up in Christ is learning how to tolerate love.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “I like to think more about the spiritual discipline of awkwardness.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “We need to practice being willing to do the awkward thing.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “In American culture, being productive is the currency of belonging.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “Every time pain screams out, it’s an invitation to belonging from my body.” – Author K.J. Ramsey
  • “Peace is physiologically incompatible with pushing ourselves and praying away our pain.” – Author K.J. Ramsey

Mentioned in the Podcast

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About K.J. Ramsey

K.J. is a licensed therapist, writer, and recovering idealist who believes sorrow and joy coexist. 

Her first book, This Too Shall Last, was published in 2021. Her writing has also been published in Christianity Today, RELEVANT, The Huffington Post, Health Central, Catalyst, and Fathom Magazine on the integration of theology, psychology, and spiritual formation. 

She and her husband live in Denver, Colorado.

Here’s how to connect with K.J.

Here’s how to connect with Jill

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