Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:10-13
“A study of 585 people living in a retirement community in Florida found that people who had reported more frequent volunteering and informal helping in one wave of the study reported higher life satisfaction at a later wave of the study.
Additionally, altruistic attitudes, more volunteering, and more informal helping all predicted positive emotions at the later time point.
More frequent volunteering also predicted fewer future depressive symptoms. The connection between having altruistic attitudes and experiencing positive emotions may be especially important for older adults who have health problems that make actual volunteering and helping more difficult.
This finding suggests that having a “generous spirit,” even when it may difficult to act on that spirit, can help maintain positive emotions in later life.”
Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.
I loved this nugget of research as my parents live in a retirement community in Florida and they love to volunteer. Share this with people like them if you know others that fit this category.
Notice the insight the research surfaced: “This finding suggests that having a “generous spirit,” even when it may difficult to act on that spirit, can help maintain positive emotions in later life.”
When we serve others, it lifts us up over time. What a beautiful picture! When we do the kinds of things the Apostle Paul wanted the Romans to do, it does not leave us depleted, but rather, make us delighted.
So, even when we are getting older and service seems harder, we can expect to be happier as a result! What a blessing that following biblical instructions will not leave us spent, but instead, strengthened.
Though I am younger, I find that rigorous service actually restores my strength. I get energized by it. But, please pray for me, I fly to Costa Rica and then Colombia for GTP program work from 25 August to 4 September 2023.
As peer accountability groups (like ECFA in USA) have come together in Guatemala (CONFIABLE) and Bolivia (Calidad), workers in these countries want PAGs too for strengthening accountability and generosity.
To support the work of our team in these countries, click here to give. Reply to this email to get a copy of the trip schedule to pray. And ask God for protection over my family whilst I travel too. Thanks.