Summer Allen: Retirement community research

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.

No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. 1 Timothy 5:9-10

“Oxytocin is a hormone and neuropeptide (a peptide hormone found in the brain) that is involved in a host of physiological functions, including childbirth and lactation… Oxytocin levels may also influence charitable donations. In one study, a dose of oxytocin did not increase the percentage of people who chose to donate to charity part of their earnings from a lab experiment, but it did increase the amount of money given by those who did decide to donate. Another study found that participants who were given extra oxytocin before watching a series of public service announcements (PSAs), donated more money overall, donated to more causes, and reported more concern for the people in the PSAs.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul describes “real widows” as faithful women who did things like raise children and exhibit a lifestyle of good deeds.

Perhaps you are thinking of your grandmother or mother right now? I know I am, though my father is still living, so my mom is not a widow. But what’s the point today?

Yesterday we looked at research about males. Today females get the spotlight.

The research shows that God made women’s bodies to produce a hormone that fuels their generous giving and service. The more it produces, the more they give. Think about how awesome that is. It reveals how truly wonderfully God made women. When they do the things God made their bodies to do, such as give birth and lactate, these acts do not leave them empty, but rather, the acts enrich them for more generosity.

And, as raising children is no easy task, this teaches us that God generously wired women for this work and when they do it, He continuously fuels them with this hormone. Men play a role too. For sure, but let’s celebrate this scientific finding linked to women and generosity.

God, thanks for our grandmothers and mothers and for enriching their bodies for generous service as they do what you made them to do: give us tender-loving care. Amen.

He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

“In one study of male college students, some were given a dose of testosterone while others received a placebo. Then they had the opportunity to offer to share money with a stranger. The offers that the students in the testosterone group made were, on average, less generous, and this effect scaled across testosterone levels—men with higher levels of testosterone (DHT) were less generous than the men with lower levels. Higher DHT was also associated with an increased likelihood that students would use their own money to punish game participants who were ungenerous toward them.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

I found this interesting. The world urges men to boost their DHT levels. Such levels actually minimize our generosity. Then as I pondered what the Lord wants from men, it appears as opposite to the world.

He looks for men to act justly (that means to be generous and make sure everyone has enough), to love mercy (that means to shift from giving people what they deserve to giving them what they need), and to walk humbly with God.

My mom alway reminds me that this was my grandfather’s life verse. Byron Drake Gregg aimed to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. And I’m Gary Gregg Hoag, named partly after him.

So that’s my legacy to follow. Whether or not you have such a legacy, you can leave one. Males, don’t aim to boost your DHT. Focus on making sure everyone has enough, give people what they need, and walk humbly with God.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

“Beyond making people feel rewarded and increasing their chance of landing a mate, generosity seems to provide many other positive benefits for the giver. Studies suggest that these benefits include better physical and psychological health…
When it comes to generosity and health, it really may be better to give than to receive. A study of patients with end-stage renal disease found that those who gave more social support—be it through social interaction, material aid, advising, or emotional support—to friends and family were significantly less likely to die over a 12-month period, whereas those who received social support were no more or less likely to die…

Another study looked at the effects of giving and receiving emotional support (such as making their spouse feel loved and cared for or listening to them when they needed to talk) and instrumental support (such as help with transportation, childcare, housework, etc.) on mortality among older married couples… After controlling for a number of variables, including the health of the participants, the researchers found that people who reported providing more emotional support to their spouse and/or instrumental support to friends, relatives, and neighbors had a significantly reduced death rate during the five-year study period, compared with those people who had reported offering less support.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

Following God’s design for living, giving, serving, and love is the better way to go. So cool that research affirms that benefits include locating a mate and living a longer and more rewarding life.

And while this represents secular research which cites dozens of sources, I found it ironic that that Summer Allen echoed Jesus (“better to give than to receive”) and yet did not cite the the biblical reference.

She would argue that generosity is the better way to go because of all the benefits it gives you. Paul would say to do it because it demonstrates actively remembering and following the instructions of Jesus.

How might you show generous emotional support to someone today? Follow God’s leading. Do it because it’s what our compassionate Lord Jesus would want you to do. It’s better. And the benefits will outweigh any expense or effort.

If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Matthew 18:6

“Studies of older children suggest how context and developmental stage influence this seemingly inherent drive to help others. Three-year-olds will mostly share their rewards from a collaborative task equally, even when they could have taken more for themselves, but share less equally when rewards came from a windfall or a task they completed on their own. For three-year-old children, previous sharing by a partner led to more sharing with that partner later, but for two year olds a partner’s previous sharing had no impact on their later sharing. Five year olds, but not three year olds, increased the amount they shared with someone who they thought might reciprocate their generosity. Collectively these studies suggest that even relatively early in human development, children’s generosity is influenced by contextual factors that become more nuanced as children get older.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

Jesus spoke pointedly about our influence on little ones. The research tells us why. Contextual factors can greatly influence the development of children, and this includes their generosity.

Our interaction with them can point them into the right direction or lead them astray.

If we say that America is following Europe and becoming post-Christian, might it be because we are not passing on our Christian values, including generosity to our children and grandchildren.

So, what we can do is not fret about it but form our children and grandchildren with intentional activities.

Try this. When our kids were little we put them to work. Make your bed. Put your toys away. And each week we gave them three dollars. A dollar to give, a dollar to save for larger or future purchases, and a dollar to spend.

We gave them jars. They made labels for them. Do this with your children and grandchildren.

It teaches them to give, save, and spend within their means. And the most important lesson is that it shows them how to make money their slave and not be a slave to money. And positions them to influence their peers.

I will share one other lesson learned related to fly fishing with my son.

When he was little, he was thrilled to catch a fish. He even loved putting them in a spot in the river where he could look at them after releasing it. Then as he got older, he started to want to compete with me, to catch more fish.

Rather than compete, we determined to take turns on great spots and count our total fish count.

I think the year he was about 13 years old, we set a goal of catching 500 fish that year and landed, 541. No kidding. We just went fishing again and landed 11 beautiful Greenback Cutthroat Trout in Herman Gulch in 2.5 hours on the water.

The best part of the outing was his generosity toward me.

He makes his way up the ice-cold stream faster than me, and what would he do. He would sight fish holding in difficult spots in the clear water and we would take turns catching them. It was technical and fun fly fishing.

This generous sharing of epic experience started when he was little. I did the same thing for him.

I was not as skilled as he has become, by far. By back in the day I tied on his flies and gave him most of the good runs and holes. Someday I will need him to do the same for me.

Not yet though. When the day comes I am sure he will help me. Enjoy the picture of one of the trout.

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

“18-month-old children who were mimicked in a friendly manner by an adult experimenter were significantly more likely to help either that experimenter or a different adult who needed help compared to children whose behavior was not copied. And another study found that 18-month-olds and 25-month-olds both offered more help toward an emotionless adult victim who had had her possessions taken away or destroyed compared to an actor who had not been harmed, suggesting that sympathy may help motivate prosocial behavior in even very young children.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

The research linked to toddlers interests me as we have a granddaughter.

But everyone out there reading this can help the next generation grow in generosity through mimicking in a friendly manner. And it seems they are never too young to start.

Think of the children in your life, in your neighborhood, in your church.

Consider creative ways to imitate generosity to them whether you are related to them or not. Your modeling will motivate their “prosocial” behavior and chart a course for generous living.

Failure to do so, according to the research will send them the opposite direction.

I want to wish a Happy Birthday to my sister back in Ohio. She’s two years older than me, so according to the research, her example helped me grow to be the person I today. Thanks Heather. Happy Birthday.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

“A study of 24-month-old children found that they will help an unfamiliar adult regardless of parental presence or encouragement, suggesting that the drive to help is intrinsically motivated. And a study of 18- and 30-month olds found that children of both ages voluntarily engaged in instrumental helping (such as helping an experimenter reach a clothespin that is out of reach), empathic helping (such as giving a cold experimenter a blanket or giving a sad experimenter a toy), and altruistic helping (such as handing over the child’s own blanket to a cold experimenter or the child’s favorite toy to a sad experimenter), although the 30-month-old children, who were better able to understand other people’s emotional cues, engaged in all forms of helping earlier and with less communication than did the 18-month-old children. This all serves as evidence of the deep proclivity in young children toward generosity.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

In recent days this research has revealed that generosity is innate or inborn. God made us to give and we need to do it for our survival. Then we learned that over time that tendency is moderated by our social environment.

Today interested me as I have an 18-months-old granddaughter. This study showed that at her age “the drive to help is intrinsically motivated.” That means God made her to offer instrumental, empathetic, or even altruistic help.

I praise God for this “deep proclivity” for generosity and hope my son and his wife can nurture it though societal factors will aim to moderate it or even shut it off altogether. But why study all this?

A friend said to me recently that he was really enjoying this modern research on generosity. I echoed that I marveled how it reinforced what we know in Scripture, that we are “fearfully and wonderfully” made.

God, show us how societal factors have moderated our giving of instrumental, empathetic, and/or altruistic help. Thanks for putting this drive to help in us. Empower us by your Spirit to live it out I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15

“Research conducted over the past few decades provides strong evidence of intrinsic generous behaviors in children. This evidence suggests that generosity is deeply rooted in human psychology—that the instinct to help others is at least partially innate and not purely the product of social and cultural conditioning. Indeed, some research suggests that these instincts may be strongest when we are young and that they are actually moderated throughout childhood.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

Fascinating! Yesterday we saw the science teach us that God wired us to give and that giving is crucial to our survival.

Today we find that generosity is innate, that means it’s inborn, natural, what God made us to do, and the instincts “may be strongest when we are young and that they are actually moderated throughout childhood.” No wonder Jesus said we must receive the kingdom not just like a child but like a “little child.”

As we age, we see the brokenness of the world, and fears can limit our giving and sharing. The world around us moderates our thinking and our actions. But what if we try to remember what it is like to be a little child? Back in time we trusted our parents to supply everything.

We did not worry about anything. We did not even know what worry was! That’s how God wants us to trust Him.

Take a moment today to think or even journal along these lines. Ponder how social factors may have moderated your generosity. Resolve to return to your innate tendencies and trust God like a little child. Perhaps identify some challenge or issue or need about which you need to trust God?

So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

“There is growing evidence that the human brain is wired for generosity. Several studies have found evidence that when people help others, their brains show activity in fundamental neural circuits such as those that underlie parental caregiving. Acting generously also appears to stimulate the neural circuits involved in reward, the same circuits that are activated when we eat food or have sex, which helps to explain why giving feels good. This neural response is also a sign that generosity is important for survival—when an act feels good, we’re more likely to do it again—and thus…the behaviors that are most fundamental to our survival also tend to make us feel good.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

Two phrases from today’s research struck me.

Firstly, the fact that studies show we were “wired for generosity” reveals the image of God in us. God is the first Giver and He made us to give. He wired us to give.

When Jenni and I bought our home, it was wired for the highest available internet speeds in Colorado. Pretty cool. But if we don’t use that wiring, it’s useless. God made each one of us to give but does not force us to do it, we need to do it. This reveals the link to the second idea.

Secondly, giving is necessary for our survival. Again, God does not force us to give, we need to do it for our own well being.

Each Tuesday Jenni spends the morning with our granddaughter. This gift of her time helps our son and daughter-in-law, but it also helps our granddaughter grow. Without giving within a family unit none of us would survive. The same is true in all of life. We need to give for our survival.

God wired us to give, it’s necessary for our survival, and it feels good. So, what are ways you can grow in giving to use that wiring, to thrive, and feel great in the process.

Name one thing and go do it today.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

“People are much more likely to help an identified specific person rather than an abstract or anonymous individual, and they’re more likely to help individuals than groups.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

As I continue my modern research, this sentence in the opening part of Allen’s white paper struck me. It makes sense. People are more likely to aid a specific person. Then I thought about the implications of this.

No wonder Jesus said, “Love your neighbor,” and not “Love our neighborhood.” Had he said the latter, most of us would have given up before getting started. But we can picture our neighbor. It’s one person.

Ask God if there is a specific person in your life He wants you to help right now. Does a person come to mind? If so, query what that might look like. Or imagine connecting your church or ministry constituents with a specific person.

When we do this, we increase the likelihood of a response, and we just might help those we serve get on a path, a trajectory of living, giving, loving, and serving generously. Make it so, Lord Jesus.