Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Does your practice discredit your preaching?

“A man’s life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree, the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon as recounted by David Jeremiah Turning Points: Finding Moments of Refuge in the Presence of God (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006) 184.

“When you wish to give alms but your thought brings doubt as to whether it is best not to give, test your thought and if you find that the doubt comes from avarice, give a little more than you intended.”

Barsanuphius of Palestine, a.k.a. Barsanuphius of Gaza (died c. 540) as recounted in Quotable Saints ed. Ronda Chervin.

“Remember that the Christian life is one of action; not of speech and daydreams. I intend that every moment of time— past, present and future—be employed by me and all creatures in the best way. In heaven we shall rest.”

Vincent Pallotti (1795-1850), founder of The Pious Society of Missions as recounted in Quotable Saints ed. Ronda Chervin.

“Prayer reveals to souls the vanity of earthly goods and pleasures. It fills them with light, strength and consolation, and gives them a foretaste of the calm bliss of our heavenly home.”

Rose of Viterbo (1235-1252) as recounted in Quotable Saints ed. Ronda Chervin.

“Put your heart at His feet. It is the gift He loves most.”

Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) favorite saying of early American educator and foundress of the Sisters of Charity.

“Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.”

Thérèse de Lisieux (1873-1897) in Story of a Soul, Chapter VIII.

“This is the first vital key to creating a culture of stewardship in your church. You first have to live it. We have taught our staff and our people what we’ve personally experienced: that giving is a joy in and of itself, and that it’s an act of worship, and that it’s the one act that makes us most like our heavenly Father.”

Robert Morris in The Blessed Church (Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press, 2012) 168.

“Give to the one who is wishing you well; it’s Christ himself. He’s asking you for what he has given you. You should blush for shame…Give something to your brother, give something to your neighbor, give something to your companion. You, after all, are rich and he is poor. This life is a road, you are both walking along it.

But perhaps you’ll say, “I’m rich, he’s poor.” Are you walking along together, or not? What does it mean, your saying “I’m rich, he’s poor.” but “I’m overloaded, he’s traveling light.” “I’m rich, he’s poor.” You’re mentioning your burden and praising the weight you carry. And what’s more serious still, you have strapped your burden to your shoulders; that’s why you can’t stretch out a hand.

Overloaded, tightly strapped up, what are you being so proud of, why are you praising yourself? Undo your straps, decrease your burden. Give some of it to your companion, and you are helping him and giving relief to yourself. Among all these words of yours in praise of your burden, Christ is still asking, and not receiving anything…

For when you did it for one of the least of mine, you did it for me. Haven’t you read that, haven’t you taken any notice of it? When you failed to do it for one of the least of mine, you failed to do it for me (Mt 25:40, 45). Haven’t you read that, hasn’t it frightened you? Look who’s in want…your Lord.”


Augustine of Hippo (354-430),Sermon on the Christian Discipline 399.7-8. He delivered this sermon around 398, most likely in Carthage during a meeting of an all-African council. Augustine insists that Christians are called to love God and their neighbors more than they love their money, and he employs considerable irony and sarcasm to counter the skepticism that meets his challenge.

Gracious and abundant God,
Strengthen my belief and
Lead me to service.
Nurture my generous heart and
Love me in Christian community.
Teach me to praise and worship and
Receive my thanks for abundant life.
Give me courage and understanding and
Bless my desire to live in your love.
Amen.

Glen Mitchell serves as Stewardship and Gift Planning Director for the Diocese of New Westminster of the Anglican Church of Canada. For this prayer and other resources, visit: thegoodsteward.ca

Gerard Berghoef and Lester DeKoster define holistic stewardship as “willed acts of service that not only make and sustain the fabric of civilization and culture, but also develop the soul.”

This is an excerpt from Faithful in All God’s House by Gerard Berghoef and Lester DeKoster, ed. Brett Elder (Grand Rapids: Christian’s Library Press, 2013).