The spirit of volunteerism
Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too (NLT) Philippians 2:4
The act of volunteerism is one great indication of a charitable spirit. For most people that I meet in my home country, they are only willing to volunteer only when there is something in it for them. That attitude is not even approved by the world let alone in Christendom. Throughout every year, Christians should make it their habit to find at least one worthy cause which is in line with their purpose and passion and give it their all without necessarily expecting any payback from the beneficiaries. We can even go the extra mile and use not only our time but our material resources to change lives for the better. When it comes to volunteerism, two characters that come to mind is Mother Teresa of Calcutta and some Spaniards I met at an orphanage.
Mother Teresa was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun. Having seen the abject poverty and deprivation suffered by the people of Calcutta, she left her comfort zone to be with the poor and care for them. Now she has left a legacy of charitable deeds in her trail with her protégés pledging to give “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor".
The next heroes of volunteerism I want to talk about are some Spaniards I met at an orphanage in a small town in Ghana. They are a group of volunteers who come to Africa every summer vacation, visit orphanages, and offer benevolent services. I was really touched by their generous donations, time, hard work, and dedicated efforts that completely transformed the deteriorating situation of the orphanage.
Beloved, doing good is not always about money although it plays a critical part. Giving a part of your valuable time to be with the oppressed/broken and putting a smile on that sad face is the closest thing to Heaven you can ever do. So instead of living for yourself only, be someone's hero in your small way and I believe that by doing this the world will be a viable social environment to spread the gospel.