Campus CrossWalk Magazine: 2007 Spring Issue -- Quotation Library: Stewardship and Generosity

“Economy is a distributive virtue, and consists not in saving but selection. Parsimony requires no providence, no sagacity, no powers of combination, no comparison, no judgment.” ~ Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Letter to a Noble Lord, 1796.
“You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.” ~ Amy Carmichael (1867-1951), missionary to India.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~ Winston Churchill (1874-1965), English statesman.
“More important than the length of life is how we spend each day.” ~ Maria Furtado.
“Stewardship is what a man does after he says, ‘I believe.’” ~ W. H. Greever (1870-1965), Lutheran minister.
“Stewardship is not leaving a tip on God’s tablecloth; it is the confession of an unpayable debt at God‘s Calvary.” ~ Paul Rees.
“You have not lived a perfect day, even though you have earned your money, unless you have done something for someone who cannot repay you.” ~ Ruth Smeltzer.
“No man has anything of his own, except his sin.” ~ Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), British Baptist preacher.
“A certain lady, being accosted by a beggar who asked charity of her, gave him a shilling saying, ‘Take that shilling, it is more than God ever gave me.’ The beggar said, ‘O madam, but God has given you all you abundance.’ ‘No,’ said she, I am right. God has only loaned me all I have. All I have is a loan.’” ~ Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), British Baptist preacher.

Inspired Insights

(Scripture passages listed generally in chronological order)

“You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.” ~ Numbers 18:29.
“Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” ~ Deuteronomy 14:22.
“Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.” ~ Proverbs 3:9-10.
“Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” ~ Proverbs 13:11.
“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” ~ Proverbs 22:9.
“She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.” ~ Proverbs 31:20-21.
“’Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me… In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” ~ Malachi 3:8-10.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ~ Jesus, Luke 6:38.
“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” ~ Jesus, Luke 11:42.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” ~ Jesus, Acts 20:35.
“And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” ~ Paul, 2 Corinthians 8:1-4.
“And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” ~ Paul, 2 Corinthians 8:5.
“But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” ~ Paul, 2 Corinthians 8:7.
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” ~ Paul, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7.
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” ~ Paul, 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” ~ 1 Peter 4:10.