Monday, November 17, 2014
Stewardship thought for the day
The amount we give is not judged by the largeness of the gifts
but the largeness of our hearts. The poor woman who shares her meager pot of
stew with another poor woman is far more to be praised than the rich man who
throws a few gold coins into a collection at church. But although most
Christians acknowledge the truth of this, their words and actions convey a
different message. When a rich man makes a large gift to the church, he
is heartily thanked; and although he will not feel the lack of that money
himself, he is praised for his generosity. When a poor man makes a small
gift, nothing is said, even though that gift may cause him to go hungry, no one
praises him or thanks him. It would be better to praise no one than to
confine our praise to the rich. Better still, we should take trouble to
observe every true act of generosity, whether by the rich or the poor, and then
offer our praise. Indeed let us be as generous with our praise as people
are generous with their money.
- St. John Chrysostom from
On Living Simply
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