Your Children Need To Feel Connected
KAYLA WRIGHT
Licensed Christian Counselor
Specialist in Child & Adolescent Therapy
Life Training Christian Counseling
When I was in middle school, I attended a conference with my mom focused on creating support for the children in our communities. There was an activity where about twenty of us stood in a circle and used string to form a web, each person holding a part of the string. The man leading the conference brought out a balloon and placed it on top of the web. The balloon represented a child, the web represented the child’s emotional support, and each person holding a piece of the string represented someone invested in this child’s life. One by one, each of us let go of the string we were holding, creating large holes in the web. At first, the balloon would fall through a hole, and the instructor would put it back on top. Eventually, though, the web could no longer support the balloon.
We All Need Christian Community
This illustration shows the value of having intentional adults invested in each child. God did not create us to walk alone in this world. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 highlights how He created each individual person uniquely, with different strengths and weaknesses, to work together for His glory. The Body of Christ has a deliberate command to love one another (John 13:14). We know the Lord has designed us to be in community with each other, and yet in 2022, Gallup recorded only 20% of Americans attend church weekly.
As someone who grew up in a small town where the majority attend churches each Sunday, this was a startling statistic for me. There are many reasons Christian families choose to not attend church. Some reasons are simply due to a cluttered schedule, while others are attached to deep wounds that have left us guarded and isolated. Whatever the cause, a Christian family who is separated from the Body of Christ is vulnerable to spiritual attacks led by Satan.
There are many verses in the New Testament that shine light on how we as the church are to operate.
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.”
Romans 12:9-16a NIV
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:1-2 NIV
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Ephesians 4:25-27 NIV
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
Matthew 18:15-17 NIV
This last verse is important to remember when we stumble across an imperfect church (Spoiler! This is all churches!) We are imperfect people seeking God alongside imperfect people. The chances of getting hurt and of hurting others at least once are 10/10. However, the Lord has equipped us to communicate with one another, holding each other AND ourselves accountable in love, and supporting each other through all areas in life. His grace is sufficient for you! The decision to find a church can be a difficult one that requires rearranging your schedule, reassessing your priorities, and laying some wounds at the feet of Jesus, but you are worth the effort it takes to find His people.
———-
Kayla Wright joined the counseling team at Life Training Christian Counseling in May of this year. She is nationally licensed as a Christian Counselor by the National Christian Counselors Association, with an advanced board certification in Child & Adolescent Therapy. Kayla gained extensive experience and credibility in providing counseling to teens and pre-teens during her tenure on the staff of Revive Christian Counseling in Owensboro and Madisonville, Kentucky.
Kayla, as well as each of our other counselors, offers convenient sessions at our office in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as online counseling via Zoom or FaceTime. Please click on this link to learn much more about how our COUNSELING FOR TEENS & PRE-TEENS in Louisville, Kentucky can help the child you love find the highly-effective, Christ-centered help they need. Contact us today at 502-717-5433, or by email at kayla@lifetrainingcounseling.org