If I had a pill that would guarantee one would add seven years to their life I would soon be a wealthy man. It would be a big seller. For most of us life is precious and we would pay a lot of money for such a pill. But since I don’t have such a pill I will, for free, share what research says adds seven years to our lives. Join a church and attend once a week. Really. That’s it. Research shows that such persons live seven years longer than people with no faith affiliation. And if you do volunteer work for your church you will add even more years. Some of the factors that surely contribute to this phenomena are the security of the group which reduces stress and one is less likely to indulge in alcohol and drugs and other risky behaviors.
Now we might be tempted to think, “Yes, but how dull is that?” It is only dull if we remain passive and come late and leave early. But should we become active and become involved, our talents are stimulated and we soon find ourselves doing things we never thought we could do. There resides in each of us unused gifts; gifts that would never have been discovered if we didn’t become an active part of a community.
Research reveals that this is the best way to live and to live long. Someone once asked me if I would be disappointed if after 70 years of living the Christian life I learned it was a sham. The obvious answer is absolutely yes. However, upon looking back over those 7 decades I would see that it was the best way to live. It might not be flashy but it is certainly fulfilling.
Written by Roger Bothwell on March 20, 2013
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org