But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24
“Feelings of gratitude also appear to motivate generosity, regardless of whether one is receiving or giving the thanks. In one study, students who provided helpful comments on another student’s cover letter were significantly more likely to help a second student with their cover letter if they had received a brief thank you note from the first student; another study found that people who were thanked after pledging to give money in the future were less likely to renege on their decision to give. Yet another study found that people induced to feel gratitude to someone who provided them with assistance later spent more time helping that person and a stranger than did people who had not experienced gratitude.”
Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.
God has been good to us in Colombia. The vision for a peer accountability group (like ECFA in USA) to help grow stewards who follow standards and build sustainable ministries has been born.
The group will be called “Orden.” It means “order” in English. It’s in the Colombia seal to promote “freedom and order” and inspired by 1 Corinthians 14:40, “but all things should be done decently and in order.” The verse implies “do things with standards and in order.”
In response to all God has done here, I have gratitude. As our research continues, it seems that gratitude inspires greater generosity. We would anticipate this and the research backs it.
So, what’s that mean for us today? Let’s express gratitude (it costs us nothing) wherever we go. As we do, we can be confident that it just might inspire those around us to grow in generosity. I’m thinking our work here in Colombia will inspire people to grow in this area. I pray you do too.