God never designed that you, my brother, should be in the position of poverty that you are now in. Why did He give you that physical frame? You are just as responsible for your physical powers as your brethren are for their means. Some of these would today be gainers could they exchange their property for your physical strength. But if placed in your position, they would, by a diligent use of both mental and physical powers, soon be above want and owe no man anything. It is not because God owes you a grudge that circumstances appear to be against you, but because you do not use the strength He has given you. He did not intend that your powers should rust by inaction, but that they should strengthen by use. {5T 178.4}

Det har aldrig været Guds hensigt, min broder, at du skulle befinde dig i den tilstand (179) af fattigdom, som du gør. Hvorfor gav han dig dette fysiske legeme? Du er lige så ansvarlig for disse legemlige kræfter, som dine brødre er for deres midler. For nogle af dem ville det i dag være en vinding at bytte deres ejendom med din fysiske styrke. Men hvis de blev anbragt i din stilling, ville de ved flittig brug af både deres åndelige evner og deres legemlige kræfter snart være hævet over savn og ikke være noget menneske noget skyldige. At forholdene synes at være dig imod, skyldes ikke, at Gud bærer nag til dig, men at du ikke bruger den styrke, han har givet dig. Det var ikke hans mening, at dine kræfter skulle ruste op som følge af uvirksomhed, men at de skulle styrkes ved brug.