While money is spent lavishly in self-gratification, stinted offerings are brought to God almost unwillingly. How much of the wages earned by the young finds its way into the treasury of God to aid in the advancement of the work of saving souls? They give a mite each week and feel that they do much. But they have no sense that they are just as much stewards of God over their little as are the wealthy over their larger possessions. God has been robbed and themselves indulged, their pleasure consulted, their taste gratified, without a thought that He would make close investigation of how they have used His goods. While such unhesitatingly gratify their supposed wants and withhold from God the offering they ought to make, He will no more accept the little pittance they hand into the treasury than He accepted the offering of Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who purposed to rob Him in their offerings. {2T 128.1}

Medens penge smides ud til selvtilfredsstillelse, bringes der næsten uvilligt små ofre til Gud. Hvor meget af de unges løn finder vej til Guds skatkammer til hjælp for sjælevindende arbejdes fremme? De giver en skærv hver uge og føler at de har gjort meget. Men de har ingen fornemmelse af at de er lige så meget Guds forvaltere over deres småting som de velhavende er over deres større ejendomme. Gud er blevet frarøvet og de selv har givet efter, under rådføring af deres behag, for deres smagsglæder, uden at gøre sig tanke om at han nøje undersøger hvordan de har gjort nytte af hans goder. Så længe disse uden tøven tilfredsstiller deres formodede mangler og tilbageholder det offer fra Gud som de burde give, vil han ikke acceptere den lille almisse, de lægger i hans skatkammer, mere end han accepterede Ananias og hans hustru Saffiras, som havde til hensigt at frarøve ham i deres ofrer.