In the spirit of gift-giving

ABOUT 48 hours ago, Christian adherents the world over celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. The breeze of the joyful season splashed on our mortal bodies. I was in my hometown of Imesi-Ile joining friends and family in celebration. The season of Christmas is a season of gift-giving and a season during which people are more eager than usual to give to others. This includes not just family, friends, colleagues and well-wishers, strangers must not also be left out.

Gift-giving, my friend, is an act of kindness, and its benefits are greater than most people recognise. On Christmas day, I gave to people, and people gave to me in return. God has configured every human being as a giving being. Your most miserly and frugal friend and family member is a giving being. A man who hates to give to people in the pigeonhole of struggles and hardship will somehow be forced to give something to somebody. When he gets sick, he must give to caregivers to be made whole.  In the throes of hunger, he must give to human hands that will help make food available. If he wants to avoid homelessness, he must give to landlords to tower roof over his head. Moving from point A to point B, people must be given to him to help him move around. If he is cornered by men of the underworld, he will give all he has to stronger men who covet his possession. God loves a cheerful giver. Those who hate to give voluntarily and cheerfully will be forced to give somehow at a point. Every human being is a giving being.

The world does not revolve around what a man holds in his hands in miserliness. Life is not about what you hold on to but what you give. The rewards may not land you in the league of wealthy billionaires either in dollars or euros, but God will always meet your needs many times in fashions unexplainable when you give. What I express is not a Sunday sermon or bible study exhortation. It is the universal spiritual truth. It works for those you call sinners; and for those who believe are saints.

Medical technology company Abbott once surveyed thousands of people across the world asking them about the number one thing that gives them the utmost satisfaction and fulfillment. Giving was always one of the top three answers. This finding is significant—it’s almost as if we are hard-wired to be generous. Humans derive mental and physical benefits from giving to others. Yes!  It is better, not worse, to give to others than to receive.

Why do people give? People give to support causes they find important to them. They do when they know that their donations will make a difference in the lives of others.  Many people give to support the fight against particularly deadly diseases like cancer, HIV, or tuberculosis. Some people give because it makes them feel good, happy, and satisfied. In the United States of America, shrewd businessmen give to reduce their income tax burden while helping others.

In a research, it was determined that giving activates the reward centre in human brains and creates a pleasurable response in the same. This response is just like what is produced by psychotropic drugs and other pleasurable stimuli. In other words, giving helps release chemical hormones like endorphins and dopamine. Both hormones give a person a pleasurable sense of reward and well-being. Giving feels great in the deepest part of your being.

The act of giving also improves life satisfaction. It results in the release of oxytocin, the hormone that induces feelings of warmth, euphoria, and connection to others. This is why giving also promotes gratitude in the giver. There are several neurological mechanisms involved in giving. Data has shown that people who donate time, money, or gifts report higher life satisfaction than those who haven’t. The more generous you are, the more you’ll enjoy your own life. So, get out there and give!

Giving makes people happy. A US study revealed that people who are habitual givers report more joy, happiness, and contentment in life than those who don’t give. There is a feeling of well-being and satisfaction generated by the simple act of giving. It helps make you happy!

Generosity and altruism result in many health benefits. It can help reduce high blood pressure naturally, reduce certain symptoms of depression and anxiety, reduce loneliness and isolation, and boost the immune system to ward off sickness and disease. According to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University and the University of Tennessee, habitual givers experience lower rates of stress and lower blood pressure. So, giving gifts doesn’t only make you happy—it also reduces your stress levels. It helps ease tension in your life. Habitual generosity could help you unwind and stay healthy. When you give to those facing hard times of life, when you feed the hungry and clothe the naked through giving; you are touching the heart of God who alone is the rewarder of men who give.

Is it possible to give to everybody who asks for help? No human is being wired to do such. But we all must give to those suffering hard times as best as we can. Every giving gesture is a seed that will come back to you in a plenteous harvest. The needy are scattered all around the world. There are lives close to you languishing in hunger and squalor right now. My friends, thousands are close to you who may be even in worse situations. Their lives are good grounds. Plant a seed in them today. The seed may leave your hands but will not leave your life.  You will be stunned by how much will come back to you.

I encourage anyone reading this to cultivate the attitude of giving to the needy.  Remember them. God will remember you for good from now into the New Year.

• X-@FolaOjotweet