“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion,” 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “for God loves a cheerful giver.”
People don’t give primarily out of guilt. They give out of emotion, out of passion. There’s joy in giving. This is no longer just fundraising theory. It’s scientifically-documented fact. The Economist 10/12/06 says, “When it comes to anonymous benevolence, directed to causes that, unlike people, can give nothing in return, what could motivate a donor? The answer, according to neuroscience, is that it feels good.” Subjects of a study were given $128 each and told to donate anonymously to any of a number of charities. Researchers “found that the part of the brain that was active when a person donated happened to be the brain’s reward centre — the mesolimbic pathway, to give it its proper name — responsible for doling out the dopamine-mediated euphoria associated with sex, money, food, and drugs. Thus the warm glow that accompanies charitable giving has a physiological basis.... Donating also engaged the part of the brain that plays a role in the bonding behaviour between mother and child, and in romantic love. This involves oxytocin, a hormone that increases trust and co-operation.”
* Like what you just read and want to learn more? Check out, More Than Money: The Truth About High-Capacity Givers.
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