Who Are “Your People”

 

I have been doing some reading on brain science lately. It is a fascinating journey into what many call the last frontier of exploration into the human body. Of course this is the part of the body that most affects our counseling world. It is where everything is stored and processed. The brain is where secure attachment is formed, or wires get crossed.

The Good News

Our brains are perfectly designed to provide the structures for successful living. Between both lobes of the brain we are able to sustain physical functioning as well as mental and emotional acuity. The more we learn, the more we are able to understand and correct damage or errant programming.

We are learning that the greatest source of mental health and joy comes from stimulating the right hemisphere of the brain. This is the creative side that is wired for human connection. When we are around others who delight in us, we thrive. It is probably easiest to comprehend when we think of a parent looking into the face of their baby. The left lobe of the brain, which processes language, is not yet online. It is simply through visual connection that the baby receives the message that they are loved. That never changes. Who lights up when they see you? Those are “your people”.

The Bad News

Studies have shown that since at least 2013 there has been an increase in isolation, with a major jump during the pandemic years. We have become accustomed to life online in so many areas. There is a huge convenience in being able to do many things virtually. We now pay bills, do our banking and shopping without having to leave our homes. Entertainment is delivered to our devices. But we lose contact with other human beings. I am grateful that we have the time saving benefit of many of these things, but instead of using the time gained to connect with others, we often just spend more time alone. And the result? It has been suggested that this is the primary reason for the massive escalation of depression and anxiety that we have been experiencing. And it is particularly evident in children and younger people, especially teens.

The Fix – Make God’s People Your People

It should be easy to figure out that reducing isolation and spending more time with “your people” will increase the levels of joy in your life. Introverts will probably need more “one-on-one” time, and extroverts more “one-on-many”. And other people need you to show up to be their source of joy as well. We are natural imitators of others, and that can be a good thing when the people we want to be like are moral, healthy (relatively speaking) and endeavoring to grow emotionally, spiritually and relationally in love and kindness. This is a picture of Christ’s intended church. You probably don’t need more information in you life, at least not the kind you get from endlessly scrolling the Internet. What you do need is more connection. More laughter. More joy.

If you haven’t already, make God’s people your people. We are hardly perfect, but we are headed in the right direction. Join us. Connect with us.