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As a professional speaker, it is my job to be center stage, to have voice, to command attention. As a caring citizen, however, my charge is infinitely different. I have always been impressed by people who live by the words of William Barclay, the popular 20th century Scottish theologian, who once said, "Always give without remembering; always receive without forgetting." This is, indeed, the microcosm of giving: to give, not in the spirit of obligation or debt, but merely in the spirit of service.
Parents understand this concept innately, simply in the way they love their children. We love not because the child loves first and deserves to be loved in return, but simply because it's natural for parents to give unconditional love.
Unconditional love and caring is the concept of stewardship - committing financial, educational, reputational and relational resources to nurture, nourish, guide and grow other people and causes. The investment to give one's self and to share resources is central to the premise of stewardship. It is limited not by the number of available dollars, but only by one's heart, attitude and commitment to affect lasting change.
My friends, we are fortunate; God has blessed us. We have been given many opportunities. However, significance is measured not by our opportunities, but by our choices. Let us choose significance; let us all choose to give, not merely give back. After all, life is lived best when giving is seen not as an obligation, but as a privilege and a priority.
Give back to those who give so much!
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