Does my community really matter?
By Kate Massey
One thing that we often discount along our healing journey is our community. The people around us make a bigger impact on us than we would think. It can be challenging to take a look at your community from an objective perspective because of the relationships we have. As humans, we all long for a sense of belonging, support, and purpose. These different factors shape our identity and how we see ourselves. The people in our community have the unique ability to speak into these areas.
Having a community where you feel a strong sense of belonging can greatly improve your mental health. A sense of belonging is the feeling that you can truly be yourself around people. In a world where we often feel we need to wear masks, having the sense of belonging is key to our mental health. Wearing a mask tells us that we are not enough as we are, even subconsciously. A group in which we truly feel like we belong allows us to be reaffirmed that we are not only appreciated but embraced for who we are and the way we were made.
Support is essential from those around you, specifically if you are going through pain or trauma. This isn’t just having people in your life that are “yes men” but people who will walk alongside you as you face the challenges that our fallen world throws your way. Having people that support us reminds us that we don’t have to face these things alone (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). It’s also important to pay attention to the direction in which they are leading us, and to the influence that their worldview can upon our life.
Your community has the unique opportunity to aid you in better understanding your purpose. If you look at how you interact with those around you, it can give insight on your talents and passions. Discovering your talents and passions can often lead to a better understanding of your makeup which in turn helps with ascertaining how these qualities can be used to further fulfill your purpose. We were all created with different gifts, but those differences are what help us to fulfill the purpose we have in this world. Think about the body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). If you had two left hands, it would be challenging to open a jar. Each part of our body was created with a specific purpose in mind, and the same goes for each of us. Being part of a community allows others to help you highlight the ways that you excel because of your differences, which often reveal aspects that contribute to your purpose (1 Peter 4:8-11). As Christians, our community also pushes us towards God when we are struggling in life. Having the community that will stand in the gap with you while encouraging you to have faith in times of pain and trouble is such a blessing (Galatians 6:1-2). Each of these different aspects of community are addressed throughout the Bible. While this is something that has clearly been shown in the Bible, science is now backing it up.
So what does science say? There have been studies about how being part of a community can affect your health, both physically and mentally. It has been found that people who have a stronger sense of community in which they feel belonging, support and a sense of purpose tend to have a higher chance to have better health over all. Below will be links to some of the research that has been done. Corey Clark showed in his research that our community has a direct correlation to our physical and mental health: "it can predict the deterioration of physical and mental health” (Clark, 2005).
Although our community can have a positive impact on us, it can also have a negative impact. In times of pain or when we are experiencing trauma, it is essential for us to be aware of who has access to us because we are more vulnerable during these trials. This doesn’t mean that the boundaries you put in place now will never change. Sometimes we need to assess what is needed in a specific season of life. Just keep in mind that seasons change. I want to leave you with a few questions today. How has your community been affecting you? Are there any changes you need to make within the community around you? Where is your community positively impacting you? How have the people you have chosen to be around impacted you mentally, emotionally and physically?
Corey M. Clark. (November 2005). Relations Between Social Support and Physical Health. Rochester Institute of Technology. http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/clark.html
Michalski CA, Diemert LM, Helliwell JF, Goel V, Rosella LC. (October 2020). Relationship between sense of community belonging and self-rated health across life stages. SSM Popul Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7585135/#sec4
Stephanie Gilbert. (2019, November 18). The Importance of Community and Mental Health. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/November-2019/The-Importance-of-Community-and-Mental-Health