Beyond the Bubble
I can still picture pulling into the parking lot with our family that day. Our church had organized a packing event to assemble hygiene kits for families in Ukraine. For weeks, the news had been filled with images and stories from halfway around the world, and those headlines had naturally found their way into conversations with our teenagers. They had some awareness of what was happening. They recognized that it was serious but, if I’m honest, they still didn’t really understand what was going on. It was happening “out there,” far beyond their normal, everyday lives.
The event itself was well done. Church staff didn’t just hand out supplies and assign tasks, but they took time to explain who these kits were for and why they mattered. As my teenagers worked to pack these supplies, I could see something shifting. The need became more than an abstract idea. For a moment, their bubble expanded just a little.
The truth is that teenagers aren’t the only ones tempted to live in a bubble. I can be just as insulated. Life is full of schedules, responsibilities, expectations, and pressures that demand our attention. It’s easy to focus on what’s right in front of us, like our family, our work, our routines. And yet, deep down, we know there’s more. We know the world is full of pain, suffering, and unmet needs. We also know that, as followers of Jesus, we are called to respond, not with guilt or overwhelm, but with love. The question is this: How do we help our teenagers learn to see beyond their own bubble and step into a faith that moves toward others?
Be careful how you talk about people who are in need. The way we speak about others shapes the way our teenagers learn to see them. Casual comments, sarcastic remarks, or dismissive language about people who are struggling can quietly teach our kids that some lives matter less than others. Even when we’re frustrated or tired, our words carry weight. When we speak with compassion, dignity, and humility about those who are hurting, whether they’re refugees, neighbors facing poverty, or people making different choices than we would, we model the heart of Christ. Our teenagers are listening, and they are learning how to interpret the world through the tone we set.
Look around your community and notice people and their needs. Things that are happening across the globe matter, but compassion often begins close to home. Help your teenagers see that need isn’t always far away or dramatic. It may be the elderly neighbor who is lonely, the family at school who is struggling financially, or the classmate who feels invisible. When we intentionally look around our own communities, we teach our kids that loving others isn’t just about reacting to emergencies, but it’s about paying attention. Awareness is the first step toward empathy, and empathy opens the door to meaningful action.
Talk with your teenagers about how Christ’s love compels us. Teenagers are capable of deep faith, but they sometimes need help connecting belief with everyday life. Conversations about service shouldn’t be rooted in pressure or obligation, but in the love of Christ. Scripture reminds us that “Christ’s love compels us.” It moves us outward. Talk openly with your teenagers about why serving others matters, not as a way to earn God’s approval, but as a response to the grace we’ve already received. Invite them to wrestle with what it means to take their faith seriously in this area, and allow space for questions, doubts, and growth along the way.
Mobilize your teenagers to actually do something. Teenagers don’t learn best through lectures alone. They learn through experience. Faith becomes real when it’s lived out. Look for opportunities where your kids can serve in tangible ways: packing kits, volunteering locally, helping a neighbor, or participating in mission-focused projects through your church. When teenagers are actively involved, they begin to own their faith in a different kind of way. They discover that following Jesus isn’t just something they believe, it’s something they do. Those moments of action often leave the deepest imprint on their hearts.
Helping our teenagers live beyond the bubble won’t happen overnight. It’s a process shaped by conversations, choices, and consistency. As parents, we have a powerful opportunity to lead. We’re never going to lead perfectly, but we can lead faithfully. When we model compassion, create space for service, and invite our kids to walk alongside us, we help form a faith that sees, cares, and responds. And in doing so, we not only shape their hearts, but we often find our own expanding too.
