Why Serve Locally?

May 18, 2020

In most of us, serving was likely something instilled in you at a young age by your parents, teachers, coaches, or other form of a leader or mentor in your life. In an article by The New York Times, they talk about the innate instinct to want to help others. In the article, they cite a study by Dr. Michael Tomasello, a developmental psychologist and co-director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, which discusses his findings when observing infants and their inclination to help. In his book Why We Cooperate, he writes, “When infants 18 months old see an unrelated adult whose hands are full and who needs assistance opening a door or picking up a dropped clothespin, they will immediately help.” So, if God has designed people with this inclination to help others, why do we typically treat volunteer work like a chore that has to be done?

Obviously, while at Liberty in an undergraduate program, you are required to complete CSER. As most of you know, this means doing 20 hours of volunteer, unpaid work in a community per semester. I don’t want to debate the CSER requirement as being part of the degree completion program. I think that community service, required or voluntary, has had a positive impact on the Lynchburg community and other parts of the world where CSER has been completed. I think the question of whether it should be a requirement doesn’t get to the root of a lack of motivation to serve. Instead, I think the bigger questions are ones of the heart. Would you serve to the same capacity you are now if it wasn’t a requirement? Would you serve without complaining or a negative mindset? These are the questions that we have to ask ourselves. I think that if you can honestly answer yes to both of these, a serving requirement would be nothing to you, and you’d actually be excited for the opportunity. With a proper motivation, I think that serving in the community can be one of the best things for any person, and it’s not just me that thinks that. Western Connecticut State University says, “Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together.” I could not agree with this more. The idea of gathering together a diverse group of people to help the needs of others with nothing in return is one of the best acts of selflessness. Yet, there are still a plethora of intangible and invaluable benefits to community service.

First, there is the connections you get to make. When you sign up to volunteer somewhere, you most likely are going to be working alongside people you have never met and who may come from a different background. This is an amazing opportunity to meet new people, possibly form new friendships, and help build up social skills. By interacting with a diverse group of people, you can be awakened to new ideas and realities you may have never encountered. Am I saying that all of these ideas and beliefs should always be taken as truth? Absolutely not. Although, hearing differing ideas and beliefs will challenge you to look at your own and critically think and research whether the beliefs and ideas you hold are valid.

Volunteering is also good for your personal health. It can increase your self-confidence tremendously. When you are able to serve someone else without expecting something in return, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. It can also give you a sense of identity in what you’re doing. Obviously, if these become the main driving factor, you need to back up a bit and realign who you are ultimately trying to give the glory to. It can also help combat mental health – especially depression. As stated in the first reason, volunteering will put you in a community with others serving. This community combats self-isolation that can be found in so many adults. If you find yourself having a lot of down time that you spend by yourself, I would try and get plugged in to serving in the community.

There are numerous other reasons to why community service is beneficial to you, but it would take a whole dissertation to explain them all. At the end of the day, the ultimate reason we must serve is to serve God. Sometimes, myself included, it’s easy to complain about having to serve whether required or not, but if you keep the motivation grounded in God and not in other reasons, you will find yourself feeling much more positive and fulfilled. In Proverbs 22:9 it says, “When you are generous to the poor, you are enriched with blessings in return.” When we are willing to help others, we do receive back, but it isn’t usually in something physical. It’s usually through His own blessing which are more valuable than any object. If you are interested in serving in your local community, in Lynchburg or your hometown, it’s not hard to find a place to get involved with. You can either search for different non-profit and volunteer opportunities on Google or go to Liberty’s website which will have a list of opportunities to serve in the LYH community.

Sources

https://www.wcsu.edu/community-engagement/benefits-of-volunteering/

https://palofswwa.org/the-importance-of-serving-your-community/

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01human.html

---