“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Religious practice increases love for fellow man. Social science research details that those who regularly worship are:
• More than twice as likely to volunteer,
• 40 percent more likely to give money to charities,
• 32 percentage points more likely to donate monthly than are their secular counterparts,
• 23 percentage points more likely to donate to charities at least yearly,
• and 15 percent more likely to report having tender, concerned feelings for the disadvantaged.
Worship of God fosters generosity. Are you building habits of giving? Do you worship God weekly as He commands in the Ten Commandments?
The accompanying graph shows the correlation between church attendance and volunteer activity. Love of God and love of neighbor seem to work in tandem,andScripturecommandsus to continually practice these“great loves” (Mt.22:36-40).
Percent who have Volunteered in Charitable Activities in the Past Year by Frequency of their Religious Attendance during Adolescence
*It bears emphasizing that these patterns hold for the groups involved, not for all the individuals who make up each group. There is naturally a wide variation among individuals.
http://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/Religious-Practice-and-Charitable-Volunteering.pdf