POWER OF VOLUNTEERING

"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10

God blessed each of us with certain skills and passions; we must pour these blessings into those who can benefit from them.

This year I made a goal to volunteer at least once a month. So far I have packed boxes of food to send to the Philippines with Children's Hunger Fund, decorated CD cases at The Painted Turtle, and packed boxes to send to our troops with Operation Gratitude.

During this process I have gotten more out of it than the people I am serving have. Volunteering as made me feel productive, optimistic, and proud. It is a great way to explore options and passions while serving others the way God calls us to serve.

I encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone and learn the power of volunteering. Just a couple hours can make a huge difference in the lives of many, while teaching you a lot about myself.

I'm not the only one who believes this either! I spoke with two young adults who spend their free time serving others and they feel the same benefits.

Josh, who volunteers at Young Life, said, "Volunteering is important to me because I was a Young Life kid and grew in faith and made friends because of it. It made sense to help other kids find Jesus and help them grow in their faith. I have learned to be less selfish, to put others before myself, not because I have to, but because I want to. I want to see my Young Life kids succeed in life and see Jesus through their actions."

Lauren, who is a Big Sister, through the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program said, "Volunteering is important to me because it gives me a chance to give back. I like being involved in the community. It's a humbling experience. When you think you have it bad you realize that someone else would love to have a life you're complaining about. Volunteering has taught me not to take what I have for granted. It has taught me how to be selfless and humble. Having a little sister has taught me to make better choices about what I do with my life. She follows me on social media and I want to be a good role model for her. It makes me think about how I'm portraying myself to the public."

In order to find volunteer opportunities in your community, visit Volunteer Match.

How are you going to make a difference in your community?