“Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus... taking the very nature of a servant.” Philippians 2:5-7
A few months after my dad’s wife died, the hospice staff contacted him and asked if he would be interested in volunteering with their patients. Before long, he was visiting 30, sometimes 40 people a day! My dad was 85-years-old; he had suffered from a heart attack, leukemia, a broken leg, and a garden variety of other ailments. But he discovered health and fulfillment in his later years he’d never before known.
There’s actually a physiological explanation for his health. Researchers have found that when people give, endorphins are released in the brain, causing pleasant sensations. One study of senior citizens in the Detroit area actually measured subjects’ happiness levels before and after a set of volunteering activities. After six months of volunteering, researchers discovered an increase of seniors’ “morale, self-esteem, and sense of social integration.”
Sometimes, I find studies like these hard to trust. But after seeing my dad, I’m a believer. Created in God’s image, we were designed to serve. For it’s through serving — whether in small acts of kindness or in making sacrifices that are dear — that we have the opportunity to fulfill our true purpose in life.
Like the Bob Dylan song reminds us, “We’re gonna have to serve somebody… it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but we’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
We might as well make our serving count for good!
Thank you, Jesus, for all the opportunities You give us to serve. Help us to reflect You to this broken world.
Take Action
In this season of hustle and bustle, let’s intentionally take time to put on the attitude of Christ and serve somebody.