First Reason Why We Should Practise Giving

I'm going to focus on the benefits of giving for the giver in my next few blogs, and later on I’ll talk about the obvious benefits for the recipient as it enriches their lives, and the not-so-obvious benefits in triggering a positive shift in mentality.

Negative

I've been researching and writing on the marginality of sub-Saharan Africa in the international environment over the last couple of years or so and am keenly aware of the negative effect that aid giving has had on the people of that continent as can be said of the way in which some people have used the welfare system over the years in the UK and the rest of the western world. But I think that’s a separate discussion altogether.

Positive

Sticking with the positive, my first point is that giving actually makes the giver feel happy in the same way that a number of other activities (and here I’ll let you work out what those activities are) bring happiness. A well documented neuroscientist at the National Institute of Health in the United States, Jorge Moll, confirms this in a research he and his colleagues carried out on their research subjects when they were asked to think about giving money to charity. The brain scan data revealed that the thought of giving altruistically activated regions in the brain that are associated with pleasure releasing endorphins that gave the subjects a ‘high’ feeling. Nicholas Kristof, a columnist at the New York Times, suggests that we are ‘hard-wired to be altruistic’.

Choice

Giving makes us happy! Several other researchers have made the same link: Jason Marsh and Jill Suttie, from the Greater Good Science Centre at the University of California, Berkeley; Michael Norton and colleagues at the Harvard Business School; and Sonja Lyubomirsky at the University of California, Riverside. So why do so many people avoid and even resent giving to charity and missions if it stimulates health and happiness in the giver?

Why Give to Charity or Missions?

Over the next few weeks I want to talk about the act of giving and why I believe giving to charity or missions is a good thing for a healthy and balanced lifestyle and for personal growth. Hopefully as you follow my blogs you’ll be inspired to get involved in some form of giving whether it’s of your time, talents or assets. Find a cause that appeals to you and enjoy helping it move forward. The more people are involved in goodwill we make the world a better place.

So You’re Not Super Rich or Superman

Something to bear in mind right from the start is that your benevolence doesn't have to be big to enrich you or benefit your recipient. And you don’t have to help every needy person or cause that you are presented with. We’ll talk more about that later.

And You’re Not a Christian

I'm aware also that a number of you reading this blog will not be a Christian or for that matter even believe in God. My blog is not just about missions. It’s about doing good – acts of service that most of us can actually find great joy practising.

Giving and Receiving

I've spent some years working in missions and have been enriched by the practice of giving of my time to helping others. In the next few weeks I will share some of the joys and enriching experiences I've had while also sharing other people’s experiences and satisfaction in giving. I've also been on the receiving end of generosity and have been blessed and persuaded to pay it forward by the kindness and generosity of those who care.

So if you’re interested in what I have to say about giving or if you want to comment on what I post why not subscribe to a notification email.