Some are willing to give according to what they have, and feel that God has no further claims upon them, because they have not a great amount of means. They have no income that they can spare from the necessities of their families. But there are many of this class who might ask themselves the question: Am I giving according to what I might have had? God designed that their powers of body and mind should be put to use. Some have not improved to the best account the ability that God has given them. Labor is apportioned to man. It was connected with the curse, because made necessary by sin. The physical, mental, and moral well-being of man makes a life of useful labor necessary. “Be ... not slothful in business,” is the injunction of the inspired apostle Paul. {3T 400.1}

(400) Nogle er villige til at give i overensstemmelse med, hvad de har og mener, at Gud ikke har yderligere krav til dem, fordi de ikke er i besiddelse af en stor sum penge. De har ingen indtægter, som de ikke har brug for til deres familiers behov. Men iblandt denne klasse mennesker er der mange, som kunne stille sig selv det spørgsmål: Giver jeg i forhold til, hvad jeg kunne have haft? Det var Guds hensigt, at de skulle have gjort brug af deres legemlige og åndelige kræfter. Nogle har ikke gjort den bedste anvendelse af de evner, Gud har givet dem. Der er blevet tildelt menneskene et arbejde. Det var i tilknytning til forbandelsen, fordi synden gjorde det nødvendigt. Menneskets fysiske, åndelige og moralske velvære nødvendiggør et liv i nyttigt arbejde. »Vær ikke lunkne i jeres iver!« er den inspirerede apostel Paulus' formaning.