Serve The Lord With Gladness

Psalm 100:2 says, “Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” There is something about serving that blesses our Lord, and others. We are called to be servants and make a difference for God. And there are side benefits for us as well.

In an article by Maria Godoy, titled, “When kindness becomes a habit, it improves our health,” she writes, “Research suggests that when we make acts of kindness a habit, it's also good for our health. Whether it's volunteering at a local food bank, or taking soup to a sick neighbor, there's lots of evidence that when we help others, it can boost our own happiness and psychological well-being. But there's also growing research that it boosts our physical health too, says Tara Gruenewald, a psychologist at Chapman University.

Perhaps the most striking evidence comes from the Baltimore Experience Corps trial, a large experiment in which adults age 60 and older were randomly assigned to either volunteer at elementary schools or be put on a waiting list. The volunteers spent at least 15 hours a week tutoring underprivileged kids. After two years, the researchers found that the volunteers had measurable changes in their brain health.

One of the researchers said, ‘They didn't experience declines in memory and executive function like we saw in our control participants. And there were even changes in brain volume in areas of the brain that support these different cognitive processes.’ Volunteers were also more physically active, ‘which is important for maintaining both cognitive and physical health as folks age.’

Another researcher added, ‘Volunteering or doing an act of kindness can distract you from some of the problems that you might be having, so you might be a little bit less reactive yourself. And it may help to give you more perspective on what your own problems are.’ Also, when you go out to help others, it also makes you more physically active and less lonely. Social isolation is a known risk factor for physical and mental health problems, especially as we age.

At the very least, volunteering will make the world a little bit better place for many others. And we might just make it a little bit better for ourselves.” That research is extra incentive to do what God has created us to do in the first place…to be servants until we enter heaven.

You say well that seems to be focused on seniors. Perhaps, but if it works for those later in life, why wouldn’t it work for anyone at any stage of life? If you are not serving somewhere in the body of Christ, why not? Talk to any of our staff and we will help you find a place where your life makes a difference for the Kingdom work of God.

Speaking of being a servant… Deacons are servants of the church, and we are continuing to receive nominations for the forthcoming year. If you know a man who is qualified to fill this role, be sure to pick up a nomination form in the Welcome Center, follow the instructions to complete it, and return it to the Pastor’s office, we’ll take it from there. We need at least 12 nominees added to the new slate, we are not there just yet, so help us by taking this matter seriously.

Monday Evening concludes this year’s Awesome August… join us at 6:30 for Dr. Fred Luter… one of our favorites.

And remember, God is always trying to take you someplace new. I love being your Pastor!

For God’s Glory Alone,

Pastor Ray