Be Present: Biblical Mental Health Practice for the Holiday Season

Why Thanksgiving Matters for Teens (and All of Us)

People heal in relationships. People grow in relationships. People flourish in relationships.

Beneath the traditions of thanksgiving lies something deeper that is designed by God to help us flourish both mentally and physically. I’m working on my dissertation and continually am in awe of how God designed humanity. One aspect of this is that we were designed to thrive in community.

In my dissertation on integrating biblical principles and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) practices in Christian schools, relational well-being repeatedly emerged as a foundation of mental health.

Educators described how students flourish when they experience:

• Christ-centered connection
• Supportive conversations
• Mentoring and discipleship
• Emotional safety
• Community practices rooted in Scripture

Christian teachers consistently described spiritual community as essential for helping students navigate their mental health. This aligns with human-flourishing studies showing that strong relationships are one of the most consistent predictors of emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Relational practices have been shown to reduce anxiety, increase resilience, and improve academic and social outcomes for students.

My dissertation aligns with what God reveals. God repeatedly emphasizes that relationships are essential.

“It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).
“Bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2).
“Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

In apologetics, we often argue that objective morality, human dignity, and relational longing point to the God who made us. Our desire for community is one of the strongest evidences that we are not just cosmic accidents.

We hunger for belonging because we were created by a relational God who exists eternally in relationship—Father, Son, and Spirit.

Ok, I’m not being snarky, but I want to make a point about neuroscience, God, and our brain. I want to make sure that it is crystal clear every time I write on this topic. The mind is not our brain. Our brain is an organ. Our mind is part of our soul. Our soul lives on in Heaven; our brain (the organ) dies with our physical body.

From a biblical/theological perspective, the mind or consciousness is linked to the immaterial soul, which survives death. Scripture (e.g., Matthew 10:28; 2 Corinthians 5:8) supports the idea of the soul persisting beyond the body. From a neuroscience perspective, the mind is generally understood as the product of brain activity. Modern science doesn’t measure the “soul,” so it focuses on cognition, emotion, and behavior as brain functions.

Ok, now that I’ve made that clear, let’s dig deeper. Neuroscience tells us that the teen brain is still under construction. The prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain critical for decision-making, empathy, impulse control, and moral reasoning, is still maturing in teens and young adults. In essence, the prefrontal cortex is like the brain’s “executive office.”

One of the greatest threats to healthy prefrontal cortex development today is the decline in face-to-face interactions, especially for our teens. While online platforms, social media, and gaming offer social experiences, they lack key elements of in-person connection, eye contact, reading body language, and interpreting nonverbal cues. ALL of these are essential for developing empathy, decision-making, and moral reasoning.

If the prefrontal cortex does not get enough real-world practice through conversations, relationships, and face-to-face interaction, then our ability to think clearly, care for others, and make wise decisions is impaired.

Ok, so what strengthens these developing capabilities?

Real conversations. Real presence. Real connection.

Teens learn empathy by watching and participating in healthy dialogue. They develop moral reasoning through storytelling, reflection, and community rituals. They form identity in the context of belonging.

Sharing gratitude aloud and reflecting on God’s blessings also strengthens relational bonds and engages the prefrontal cortex in ways that reinforce moral reasoning and empathy. Screens cannot disciple the heart. Social media cannot finish forming the brain. But intentional presence can.

So this Thanksgiving, when teens sit in a room with grandparents, parents, cousins, and friends, something deeply developmental is happening. They are absorbing wisdom, emotion, rhythm, patience, and perspective simply by being in the room.

Jesus was the most present person who ever lived. He stopped for people. He listened. He asked thoughtful questions. He shared meals and unhurried time.

When the world sees Christian community marked by love, presence, and genuine care, it becomes a powerful living defense of the gospel. Jesus Himself said:

“By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

This Thanksgiving, your home can be a witness.

Put down the devices. Ask meaningful questions. Share your story. Model empathy and moral reasoning. Your presence is not just loving, it is brain-shaping, soul-shaping, and gospel-shaping.

 References

New International Bible. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1978).