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6552089 We have become, by the power of a glorious evolutionary accident called intelligence, the stewards of life's continuity on earth. We did not ask for this role, but we cannot abjure it. We may not be suited to it, but here we are. intelligence life science stewardship Stephen Jay Gould
f0a8ae4 There is more beauty than our eyes can bear, precious things have been put into our hands and to do nothing to honor them is to do great harm. brave courage deception eyes fortitude grace inspirational kind kindness life love precious stewardship world Marilynne Robinson
0644ecd I'll pray that you grow up a brave man in a brave country. I will pray you find a way to be useful. I'll pray, and then I'll sleep. brave courage fortitude god grace inspirational jesus kind kindness life love pray prayer praying precious prudence stewardship world Marilynne Robinson
2967688 Abundance isn't God's provision for me to live in luxury. It's his provision for me to help others live. God entrusts me with his money not to build my kingdom on earth, but to build his kingdom in heaven. christianity god heaven help kingdom luxury money poverty provision riches sharing stewardship wealth Randy Alcorn
0802171 Theologians talk about a prevenient grace that precedes grace itself and allows us to accept it. I think there must also be a prevenient courage that allows us to be brave - that is, to acknowledge that there is more beauty than our eyes can bear, that precious things have been put into our hands and to do nothing to honor them is to do great harm. And therefore, this courage allows us, as the old men said, to make ourselves useful. It allows us to be generous, which is another way of saying exactly the same thing. brave courage generous giving grace kindness life love stewardship Marilynne Robinson
338a657 God is not glorified when we keep for ourselves (no matter how thankfully) what we ought to be using to alleviate the misery of unevangelized, uneducated, unmedicated, and unfed millions. The evidence that many professing Christians have been deceived by this doctrine is how little they give and how much they own. God has prospered them. And by an almost irresistible law of consumer culture (baptized by a doctrine of health, wealth, and prosperity) they have bought bigger (and more) houses, newer (and more) cars, fancier (and more) clothes, better (and more) meat, and all manner of trinkets and gadgets and containers and devices and equipment to make life more fun. They will object: Does not the Old Testament promise that God will prosper his people? Indeed! God increases our yield, so that by giving we can prove our yield is not our god. God does not prosper a man's business so that he can move from a Ford to a Cadillac. God prospers a business so that 17,000 unreached people can be reached with the gospel. He prospers the business so that 12 percent of the world's population can move a step back from the precipice of starvation. compassion evangelism giving gospel greed hunger need prosperity sharing starvation stewardship John Piper
aaff25d God comes right out and tells us why he gives us more money than we need. It's not so we can find more ways to spend it. It's not so we can indulge ourselves and spoil our children. It's not so we can insulate ourselves from needing God's provision. It's so we can give and give generously (2 Corinthians 8:14; 9:11) excess generosity giving less money more selfishness sharing spending spoil stewardship Randy Alcorn
acb2b8e The rule of no realm is mine, neither of Gondor nor any other, great or small. But all worthy things that are in peril as the world now stands, those are my care. And for my part, I shall not wholly fail of my task, though Gondor should perish, if anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or bear fruit and flower again in days to come. For I also am a steward. Did you not know? heroes protecting steward stewardship J.R.R. Tolkien
c0be49c Tolstoy said, 'The antagonism between life and conscience may be removed either by a change of life or by a change of conscience.' Many of us have elected to adjust our consciences rather than our lives. Our powers of rationalization are unlimited. They allow us to live in luxury and indifference while others, whom we could help if we chose to, starve and go to hell. change compassion conscience conviction guilt hell hunger indifference power rationalization starvation stewardship tolstoy Randy Alcorn
793c75a Too often we assume that God has increased our income to increase our standard of living, when his stated purpose is to increase our standard of giving. (Look again at 2 Corinthians 8:14 and 9:11). bonus christianity corinthians excess giving god income increase raise scripture sharing standard-of-living stewardship Randy Alcorn
739196e Are we truly obeying the command to love our neighbor as ourselves if we're storing up money for potential future needs when our neighbor is laboring today under actual present needs? compassion current future hoarding justice labor love need neighbor present saving selfish sharing stewardship Randy Alcorn
28f6785 When I save, I lay something aside for future need. If I sense God's leading, I will give it away to meet greater needs. When I hoard, I'm unwilling to part with what I've saved to meet others' needs, because my possible future needs outweigh their actual present needs. I fail to love my neighbor as myself. compassion future hoarding needs present protection saving sharing stewardship Randy Alcorn
233d90b Why does a steward steal? He steals because he's not sure he'll always remain with his master and wants to make his future secure. materialism security stewardship Alexandre Dumas
b50fcc6 ...if I try to make only enough money for my family' immediate needs, it may violate Scripture. ...Even though earning just enough to meet the needs of my family may seem nonmaterialistic, it's actually selfish when I could earn enough to care for others as well. earning enough family materialism money more needs others scripture selfish stewardship Randy Alcorn
7b60acb ..tithing isn't something I do to clear my conscience so I can do whatever I want with the 90 percent--it also belongs to God! I must seek his direction and permission for whatever I do with the full amount. I may discover that God has different ideas than I do. money obedience stewardship tithing Randy Alcorn
3ad241e What you do with your resources in this life is your autobiography. legacy resources stewardship Randy Alcorn
0e87dde God has made us to be conduits of his grace. The danger is in thinking the conduit should be lined with gold. It shouldn't. Copper will do. gold grace lifestyle stewardship John Piper
54b1f36 Whenever we have excess, giving should be our natural response. It should be the automatic decision, the obvious thing to do in light of Scripture and human need. giving greed need scripture sharing stewardship Randy Alcorn
bf78738 Unless we learn how to humbly tell each other our giving stories, our churches will not learn to give. encouragement example giving stewardship stories Randy Alcorn
966553e "A disciple does not ask, "How much can I keep?" but, "How much more can I give?" Whenever we start to get comfortable with our level of giving, it's time to raise it again." comfort disciple discipline faith give giving keep obedience share stewardship trust Randy Alcorn
dc08992 If economic catastrophe does come, will it be a time that draws Christians together to share every resource we have, or will it drive us apart to hide in our own basements or mountain retreats, guarding at gunpoint our private stores from others? If we faithfully use our assets for his kingdom now, rather than hoarding them, can't we trust our faithful God to provide for us then? economic-catastrophe faith fiscal-cliff gunpoint hoarding protection provision resources sharing stewardship survivalism trust Randy Alcorn
600ef0c Christians are God's delivery people, through whom he does his giving to a needy world. We are conduits of God's grace to others. Our eternal investment portfolio should be full of the most strategic kingdom-building projects to which we can disburse God's funds. giving grace investment-kingdom need stewardship Randy Alcorn
e18265d To turn the tide of materialism in the Christian community, we desperately need bold models of kingdom-centered living. Despite our need to do it in a way that doesn't glorify people, we must hear each other's stories about giving or else our people will not learn to give. christianity community encouragement example giving humility kingdom learning materialism modelling models stewardship stories Randy Alcorn
d3d19f1 Wealth is a relational barrier. It keeps us from having open relationships. communication honesty openness relationships stewardship transparency wealth Randy Alcorn
0488a80 I feel like a child who has found a wonderful trail in the woods. Countless others have gone before and blazed the trail, but to the child it's as new and fresh as if it had never been walked before. The child is invariably anxious for others to join in the great adventure. It's something that can only be understood by actual experience. Those who've begun the journey, and certainly those who've gone further than I, will readily understand what I am saying. discovery excitement money stewardship Randy Alcorn
2af4d3d It's curious that the Church has become the most tightfisted at the very time in history when God has provided most generously. There's considerable talk about the end of the age, and many people seem to believe that Christ will return in their lifetime. But why is it that expecting Christ's return hasn't radically influenced our giving? Why is it that people who believe in the soon return of Christ are so quick to build their own financial empires--which prophecy tells us will perish--and so slow to build God's kingdom? giving kingdom-of-god return-of-christ stewardship Randy Alcorn
7af2548 In the midst of prosperity, the challenge for believers is to handle wealth in such a way that it acts as a blessing, not a curse. curse prosperity stewardship wealth Randy Alcorn
2c30a51 Capital is necessary to the cultivation of esthetic value. stewardship Harold Bloom
1de7812 Given our abundance, the burden of proof should always be on keeping, not giving. Why would you not give? We err by beginning with the assumption that we should keep or spend the money God entrusts to us. Giving should be the default choice. Unless there is a compelling reason to spend it or keep it, we should give it. giving money stewardship Randy Alcorn
1d8ccbd We should remember Christ's words, 'Let nothing be wasted,' when we look in our refrigerators and garbage cans and garages. christianity stewardship waste Randy Alcorn
0e82982 The opportunities for using our financial resources to spread the gospel and strengthen the church all over the world are greater than they've ever been. As God raised up Esther for just such a time as hers, I'm convinced he's raise us up, with all our wealth, to help fulfill the great commission. The question is, what are we doing with that money? Our job is to make sure it gets to his intended recipients. missions opportunity stewardship wealth Randy Alcorn
0d44be4 To procrastinate obedience is to disobey God. discipline obedience procrastination stewardship tithing Randy Alcorn
c1ffe74 Just because you can't act EVERYWHERE doesn't mean you don't act ANYWHERE. - Madeleine Albright humility job leadership priorities stewardship vocation Walter Isaacson
3bba1bc David ran through concrete advantages. And then set aside the practical. The pragmatist was gone, replaced by the poet and mystic. leadership stewardship Geraldine Brooks
bbe7bec A minister's (cabinet member's) function was not to DO the work but to see that it got done. stewardship Barbara W. Tuchman
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