The beginning of summer always makes me think about serving and volunteering. I think this is because volunteering opportunities have been a part of my summer for many years. From something simple such as taking an afternoon to landscape for someone who could no longer physically do it themselves, to small construction projects, to a week-long camp for kids, to a mission trip to Nicaragua, serving in the summer has played a big role in my life. I don’t share that as a “look at me” but rather to say that serving has made my summers more life-giving so I always do my best to include it each year.

With that in mind, I thought I would share a few benefits of serving to encourage you to make it a part of your summer this year. So, here we go!

Serving cultivates gratitude. Have you ever noticed that the more you focus on yourself, the less grateful you feel? I certainly have. This is because self-focus only allows you to see life through your circumstances. As humans, we tend to believe more is better and the, “grass is greener on the other side.” Self-focus reinforces that thought process. It is when you lift your head up and begin to see the circumstances of others that you become more grateful for your own life. By serving someone who is in a challenging season of life, you can more clearly see and appreciate the blessings in your own life. I believe this is true even if you are also in a challenging season of life. Serving someone else opens your heart and mind to the life-changing power of gratitude and its byproducts.

Serving Brings People Together. Is our world struggling with division? Survey says yes. All you have to do is turn on the news. Regardless of your political opinion, we seem to be moving farther and farther apart. Instead of discussing differences and looking for solutions, we draw lines and dehumanize the other side. Do you know when it is really hard to do that? When you are serving or serving with someone.

Let’s start with serving someone. When a person becomes someone with a name instead of a societal issue, it is much harder to project assumptions on them. This has happened to me many times. In my book, Hope Realized, I talk about the moment when people living in poverty in Nicaragua stopped being an issue and became Josue, Maria Jose, and Gladys. No longer just something I read about in a book or on the internet, I was forced to ask myself why my very capable friends were struggling when I was not. You don’t have to go to Nicaragua for this to be true. When an issue becomes a someone instead of a something, what was once very black and white becomes much more gray. In understanding another person’s story and appreciating their humanity, you can break down the walls of division.

This can also be true when you serve with someone. There is something special about volunteering with another person. It creates a unique bond that is not based on political beliefs, socioeconomic status, culture, or any of the other categories we use to label each other. Instead, it is based on the common goal of helping another human being. By focusing beyond the issues that commonly divide us, we are able to see each other for who we really are–fellow Creations of a God who loves us and gives us value. Are there differences? Of course. In fact, our difference can make us better if we prioritize them below what makes us the same. In serving another human with another human, we are able to to do just that.

Serving creates a hope cycle. Does the world ever seem hopeless to you? Much like the question on division, most people would say yes. The truth is it can look pretty hopeless sometimes with news of war, poverty, hunger, social unrest, and more dominating the headlines. While hopelessness, or the lie of hopeless as I call it in Hope Realized, does impact our world, it doesn’t have to shape our worldview. Instead, we can choose to see hope in the midst of hopelessness.

How? Well, volunteering is one great way to change your perspective. When you choose to serve someone who is in the midst of a what appears to be a hopeless situation, something amazing often appears: a glimmer of hope. This isn’t always the case and it does not always last, but it can remind you that all hope is not lost. In other words, as broken as the world is, this small reminder of hope can help you see the possibility for a different story. The same can be true for the person you are serving. This is why I call it a hope cycle. As you serve someone, bringing them hope, you get an infusion of hope, ultimately creating a more hope-filled world. Imagine how different the world would be if more people took advantage of this hope-bringing opportunity?

These are just a few of the many reasons why you should incorporate serving in your summer, and ultimately you day-to-day life. Want a more life-giving, hope-filled summer? Get out there and serve someone! You will find it serves you too!

James Belt

Click here​ for more information on my book Hope Realized and resources to help you bring hope to others!