Quotes on Benevolence

Definition: Giving to others' basic needs without having as my motive personal reward.

"That man is worthless who knows how to receive a benefit, but not how to return one."--Plautus (c. 200 B.C.)

"The best portions of a good man's life are his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love."--Anonymous

"'Twas her thinking of others made you think of her."--Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"If you confer a benefit, never remember it; if you receive it, remember it always."--Chilon of Lacedemon (c. 600 B.C.)

"Feel for others--in your pocket."--Charles H. Spurgeon

"Let others' deeds of kindness frankly be revealed; but your own good to others, always keep concealed."--Cato

"Your best resume is not what you write, but how you live."--Anonymous

"You've out-grown that coat, let's give it to someone who can wear it."--Common saying of mothers

"The man who dies rich dies disgraced."--Andrew Carnegie

"If your actions are upright and benevolent, be assured they will augment your power and happiness."--Cyrus

"Benevolence is the medicine for all ills."--Sa'di

"Faith, like light, should always be simple and unbending; while love, like warmth, should beam forth on every side, and bend to every necessity of our brethren"--Martin Luther

"You can give without loving, but you can not love without giving."--Amy Carmichael

"The knowledge that God has loved me to the uttermost ... will send me forth into the world to love in the same way."--Oswald Chambers

"Love is a weakness in which lies our strength."--C. H. Spurgeon

"One of the world's worst tragedies is that we allow our hearts to shrink until there is room in them for little beside ourselves."--A. W. Tozer

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."--John 3:16

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."--John 13:35

"God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."--Romans 5:8

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."--John 15:13

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." 1 Corinthian 13:4-8

Thanksgiving Day

My Thanksgiving Day was normal during the work day since it is not a holiday here. However, in the evening I invited all of our employees to eat hot pot with me. We shopped for ingredients, ate, and cleaned up together. Our conversation was also good. I shared with them the story of Squanto: how he had been kidnapped by English speakers and taken to England twice, yet was willing to forgive and help these English-speaking Pilgrims. I cried as I told the story. Then I said that his story had similarities to the story of Joseph and asked if anyone could tell that story (I have told Joseph's story on two different occasions). Jordan, one of our employees, then told Joseph's whole story with great fidelity. I was both amazed and grateful. I had thought that everyone just slept when I told Bible stories. This was the first time that I had any evidence that they paid attention to me. Then I took another risk and asked if someone could tell the stories from Daniel. And Daniel, another employee (to whom I had personally given that English name), told those stories. His memory was less accurate, but I was grateful nonetheless. Afterward, we all talked about what is important to a successful marriage and what qualities we are looking for in a spouse.

As you can see, even though Thanksgiving was no holiday for me, I was still able to see a bit of long-awaited fruit.