Praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with the strings and pipe. Psalm 150:4
“Besides listening to prosocial music, several studies suggest that jointly making, listening to, or dancing to music with others can boost prosocial behavior. In one study, four-year-old children behaved more cooperatively and prosocially after joint music making than did children who were engaged in another activity with similar levels of social and linguistic interaction.”
Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.
I am thinking musicians out there knew this to be true but it’s fresh research to me. Music coupled with dancing increased prosocial and generous behavior in kids.
Perhaps it works for children of all ages. It inspires me to urge readers to worship God in music and dance as the Spirit leads, and couple that with worship in the form of generous giving.
I just exchanged messages with a Christian worker in Pakistan. After their singing and dancing they decided to take up and offering for Christians suffering loss and persecution.
GTP hopes to go serve workers there in February 2024. In the meantime, turn up the music, dance, and consider whom God wants you to bless today through your giving.
And pray for my safe arrival to Istanbul, Turkey. More on the World Evangelical Alliance conference here in the days to come.