It is not from your own goods that you give to the beggar; it is a portion of his own that you are restoring to him. The Earth belongs to all. So you are paying back a debt and think you are making a gift to which you are not bound.

You can't take care of charity unless you take care of yourself first.

I give to panhandlers on occasion, especially around the holidays, but have always been involved with charity, which was an important part of the way I was brought up. My siblings and I knew early on in life that we were incredibly fortunate and have never taken that for granted, so we recognize the importance of giving back.

The well from which we receive grace is only filled by sharing it with others.

Give the gift, and surrender the rest.

Giving the gift is reward enough. That's where the life is. That's where the joy is.

Giving jump starts our relationship with God. It opens our fists so we can receive what God has for us.

I may grow rich by an art I am compelled to follow; I may recover health by medicines I am compelled to take against my own judgment; but I cannot be saved by a worship I disbelieve and abhor.

As God-appointed managers, we acknowledge that our money (and the skills God gave us to earn money) is the Lord's, and our first question is, Lord, how can I use this in a way that pleases You? If we ask that question often enough, we may change some of our spending habits, and we might devote more of our resources to the things that matter most to God.

And we know that we really live only when we really give.

Giving connects two people, the giver and the receiver, and this connection gives birth to a new sense of belonging.

One of the things I was taught as a child, and which I taught my children also, is never to go to anyone's house without bringing something — never visit anyone without bringing them a gift.