What children learn when they’re young builds a foundation for the rest of their lives. Faith provides guiding principles that can steer them in the right direction. However, the benefits of faith for children go far beyond discipline. Spirituality has been shown to positively impact mental and physical health for people of all ages. Learn about a few of the ways faith can help children live more meaningful lives.
Connection to Community
As someone who practices a religion, you have a built in community at church, or perhaps at a faith-based school. In many cases, the connection goes deeper than that. When you find another person who practices the same faith, you know you have something in common with them. This can be especially impactful for children as they seek friends with common interests. Along with meeting other children through their faith, they have the opportunity to interact with spiritual leaders who can guide them and help them through hard times.
Sense of Hopefulness
Spiritual faith often includes a belief that there’s something good waiting for you. This can give children a sense of hope when things aren’t going their way. Knowing that something good will happen eventually can ease thoughts that lead to depression or quiet feelings of anxiety. Belief in a higher power is shown to lead to better mental health overall and also better response to mental health treatments.
Feeling in Control
Being hopeful can help people of faith with external stressors, while feeling in control can help on an internal level. Most faiths have guidelines that believers follow, which provides a moral compass. This can make life easier for children, especially as they grow older and start facing peer pressure. It’s easier to say “no” to drugs and unsafe behaviors when you have a compelling reason to resist the temptation. Children of faith also may find it easier to bounce back when they do give in because they tend to surround themselves with people who can guide them through difficult times.
Stronger Family Ties
Younger children generally feel attached to their parents and siblings, but that can change as they grow older. Teens often feel like they can’t relate to their parents or like they’re too cool to hang out with the other kids in their family. Through a common faith, however, children often feel more connected to their family members. This leads to stronger relationships that children carry with them throughout their lives.
Better Health Outcomes
Mental health isn’t the only area that faith can directly benefit. In many ways, faith can lead to better physical health. The built-in community faith creates keeps people of faith more accountable to each other. With less likelihood of falling into unsafe and unhealthy behaviors, children are more likely to have better overall health as they grow older. When a person of faith does become ill, they often have more hope that they’ll recover, which can aid in the recovery process.
At North Tampa Christian Academy, we believe faith can help people of all ages live abundant lives. At our Tampa Christian school, students thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.