In an interview with The Christian Post, Kelly stated that she has learned to listen to God rather than the people around her.
“That has helped me personally to make sure I’m grounded in truth, in reminding myself who I am,” the singer explained. “I’m loved by God… listening to who He says I am rather than what the world says, which is difficult and something I struggle with. We’re all in this together, after all. We’re all trying to figure it out.”
Kelly went on to say that life is all about “dealing with comparisons.”
“It’s difficult enough without social media, let alone dealing with comparisons and everyday life. Then there’s the added pressure of the internet and comparing yourself to things that aren’t always real “Kelly stated. “It’s not always an accurate representation of real life.”
Kelly finds comfort in Psalm 91:4, which states, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
“I just love the image of having a safe place, a place of refuge when the world is crazy,” Kelly said. “Just having that kind of peace to know, ‘Okay, I can have this quiet time where it’s just me and God, where I can get my head right and my soul right and then kind of go back out and do my thing.'”
The 28-year-old singer debuted on American Idol in 2010 and later collaborated with Christian artist Kirk Franklin on the gospel album Hiding Place. In 2019, she won a Grammy for Best Gospel Performance/Song.
“That wasn’t something I gave much thought to,” she admitted. “It just happened that way. It was as if she was saying, ‘This is what I want to sing about.’ This is what is happening in my life right now.’ And the songs just flowed out of me. It’s simply a part of me.”
Kelly was most recently on tour with Justin Bieber and Kari Jobe this summer. Curly Hair Blues, her first children’s book, will be released next year.