3 Reasons to Volunteer as a Family This Thanksgiving

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1. Service Lowers Our Stress Levels

We can all agree that while the holidays are magical, they are also stressful. I am already looking over my list and checking it twice in October because there is an endless list of people to buy for, celebrations to plan, and meals to think of! Interestingly, taking time to be generous actually helps lower that feeling of stress and anxiety that many of us are carrying.

Researchers decided to connect people to heart monitors and found that when people felt they were giving too little, their stress levels rose. When they gave generously, their stress levels stayed down. We have been created to be people who give of ourselves to others! One of our core needs in life is to make an impact. When we are generous with our lives, we gain a sense of purpose that fulfills this core need.

Acts 20:35 says, "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.'"

The Bible informs us and confirms what scientists have observed; there are benefits for the giver that are even superior to the joy that comes when we receive a great gift.

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2. Serving Others Actually Improves Our Physical Wellbeing

Stress, all those holiday goodies, and more can take a toll on our bodies. One unexpected way to improve our physical well-being is through taking time to give to others. When we give our brains happiness, chemicals that have long-lasting positive benefits for our bodies.

It can truly be a challenge to push our families to think past our own obligations. Yet, there can be healing power in the act of taking the focus off ourselves and giving to others. As parents, we need to show our kids how to think beyond their own needs so they can tap into this unexpected joy as they grow into their own people.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 says, "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."

When we are generous, we are investing in a better future for ourselves, our children, and our world. Not only are we sowing into God's eternal Kingdom, but we also are investing in our family's future by acting in a way that benefits our minds, souls, and bodies.

3. Volunteering Together Grows and Expands Your Family Relationships

All those feel-good chemicals that happen when we take time to volunteer together have another exciting benefit: they grow us closer to one another. A sweet way to build a meaningful and unforgettable family tradition is by volunteering over the holidays as a unit. I bet your kids will list giving together as one of their top activities for a long time after this season has passed!

This step of service also allows your family to create a broader network of relationships. When we give out food to the homeless, serve refugees in our community, stock the local food bank, or throw a party for foster kids, we are putting ourselves in places we likely don't naturally go. We get to hear from others who interact with people struggling under the weight of different social pressures, and our eyes can be opened to issues that we didn't know existed in our community. Our kids also get the chance to interact with a more diverse world, hearing the stories of people not just like them.

Let your kids have a chance to see that their worldview is not the only one or even the right one. Every person has a different story, and it's important that we make a point to see those who often go unnoticed by the masses. God called us to love the least of these, and we can only take steps to follow that command if we first get to know those who are struggling around us. 

Psalm 112:5 says, "It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice." Blessings follow those of us who give of ourselves and of the resources we have been entrusted with. Take time to better appreciate the gifts you've been given and understand God's heart for us by carving out time to serve others in love as a family this Thanksgiving.