A Biblical View of Childhood Trauma
Many people are now discussing childhood trauma, and while I believe this is an important topic to be aware of in our lives, I also wish more people were talking about this:
The power of intergenerational spirituality. Also known as: spirituality that is passed down in families.
It turns out, trauma and toxic patterns can be passed down through generations, but so can healing and a love + life lived with God. Let’s take a closer look at this.
Researcher + clinical psychologist Lisa Jane Miller set out to study the impact of intergenerational spirituality on depression. After years of being part of the mainstream approach to treating mental health problems like depression, she felt as if something were missing. Turns out, there was. The influence of spirituality.
To measure this hypothesis, she ran equations and gathered her data and analyzed pairs of mothers and daughters.
She measured mothers who scored high or not high in spirituality, paired with a child who scored high or not high in spirituality, with depression or no depression. What she discovered was intriguing: when both the mother and child were high in spirituality, the child was 80 percent protected against depression, compared to mothers and children who were not in agreement with spirituality.
In other words, the child was five times less likely to be depressed when a spiritual life was shared with a mother.
This proved true even when she added in the variables that mainstream clinical science has shown is linked to childhood depression:
Mothers depression
Poverty
Stressful home environment
Overly cold or controlling parenting
She found the spirituality still held the same 80 percent protective benefit. She reports it was the largest protective rate she had seen anywhere in resilience literature.
What can we learn? The main stream approach to treating mental health problems treats people as if their minds, body, + spirit are disconnected. That we are a victim to our environment + biological impulses, and doomed if we have experienced trauma. But this is not the case.
It turns out, our mind, body, and spirits tell a very different story.We can build resilience + spirituality is actually protective. Her research also showed even if it was not passed down to you, it can still be pursued later in life and highly influence healing. This makes sense in light of the Biblical narrative... Science however, is just now catching up.
The truth is, suffering and trauma will always exist. Yes, it makes a huge impact and should be tuned into. In fact, the childhood ACE questionnaire, which measures traumatic events in childhood, like abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction, present a risk for future medical, academic, and social problems.
High ACE scores have even been determined to predict adult risky behavior and are associated with health and disability in childhood.
But I hope we do not forget the other side of this truth:
Spirituality makes an even bigger impact.
How can we apply this as Christians?
Spirituality involves more than rule keeping and going through a check list on or attendence on Sundays.
It involves embodiment and living in light of a narrative much bigger than ourselves: the gospel.
Biblical embodiment means acknowledging the connection between our mind, body, + Spirt.
Doing so allows us to realize healing + gospel living is not all on us + healing is found in community. When we immerse ourselves in His Word, we are reminded we receive help and are aided by His Spirit, and are forgiven when we fall short.
Biblical embodiment allows us to bridge the gap between our physiology + spirituality and many symptoms + thought processes start making sense.
And it enables us to build resilience to suffering and feel part of a bigger plan, not just a product of our environments. We also begin to realize the impact our lives + beliefs have on others, especially our loved ones.
As a result, our lives and actions often begin speaking to others far greater than words ever could. It becomes a feltsense people pick up on.
We become the sermon, the hands and feet of Jesus... We become evidence of the hope + resurrection, and love in the way in which we treat people, treat ourselves, and the way we live.
This type of living inspires, ignites curiosity + awe, and it impacts generations to come. It has the capacity to leave a legacy of resilience. Gospel living is transformative. It impacts mind, body, + soul.
Are we living accordingly?
Want to learn more? Explore your childhood inside our 12 week program Aligned + Renewed and the ways it may have shaped you, and learn what you can do about. Hope to see you inside!
Reference:
