In 1957 in Montgomery, Alabama, Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
Coming right after Christmas, many of us are tired of doing for others, but King’s point was that kindness and compassion must become intrinsically part of who we are if we wish to become healthy and whole human beings and create constructive communities.
But if all you do is give without any sense of fulfillment, you will quickly burn out and feel exhausted.
So, here are a few ideas to help you answer King’s question.
First, find your passion for a way of doing that makes you smile and feel satisfied. If you are passionate about what you are doing for others, you will be able to sustain the effort over time.
Second, be proactive – not reactive – in the way you are doing for others. None of us like being cajoled into giving when we are focused on something else. Being guilt-tripped into giving leaves a bad taste in our mouths. By planning as best we can the ways we do for others, it is more rewarding.
Third, find organizations that express your passion that can carry on your desire to do good, beyond the time or resources you have to give. Such a connection can create a joy in you.
And lastly, realize that King’s question must be asked every day of our lives. Doing for others is a way that leads to our lives being fulfilled.
Here’s hoping on this MLK birthday weekend, you will find your passion to do for others.
This is Dr. Scott Morris for Church Health.