--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Water that’s not moving becomes stagnant…" description: "\"“Water that’s not moving becomes stagnant. And if there’s not someone pouring into you, the pitcher gets dusty. A person is most satisfied and most use..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/chris-fabry-28057_giving-and-receiving_water-that-s-not-moving-becomes-stagnant_2807849.jpg" --- # Water that’s not moving becomes stagnant. And if there’s… ![“Water that’s not moving becomes stagnant. And if there’s not someone pouring into you, the pitcher gets dusty. A person is most satisfied and most useful when she is both giving and receiving. In marriage. In life. In friendship. With God too.” quote by Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/chris-fabry-28057_giving-and-receiving_water-that-s-not-moving-becomes-stagnant_2807849.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/chris-fabry-28057_giving-and-receiving_water-that-s-not-moving-becomes-stagnant_2807849.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/chris-fabry-28057_giving-and-receiving_water-that-s-not-moving-becomes-stagnant_2807849.jpg) > ““Water that’s not moving becomes stagnant. And if there’s not someone pouring into you, the pitcher gets dusty. A person is most satisfied and most useful when she is both giving and receiving. In marriage. In life. In friendship. With God too.”” [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balance of giving and receiving sustains personal growth and relationships across life domains. **In simple terms:** Give and receive to stay fulfilled. Key Takeaway Seek mutual exchange in relationships. Themes balance reciprocity growth relationships Mood thoughtful encouraging Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - marriage counseling - friendship building - spiritual practice - team collaboration Key Concepts emotional intelligence spirituality community Questions to Reflect On - Are you allowing yourself to receive? - How do you maintain healthy boundaries? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on giving can lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friendship God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship-god-461225/) [Giving and receiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-and-receiving/) [Giving Receiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-receiving-377431/) [Life Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-friendship-338246/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Receiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/receiving/) [Useful Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useful-giving-3498799/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [Acting is communication. It's giving and receiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-layne/acting-is-communication-it-s-giving-and-receiving/) [KiKi Layne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-layne/) > [Giving and receiving love is vital to human existence. It is the glue that binds couples, families, communities, cultures, and nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-frank-lawlis/giving-and-receiving-love-is-vital-to-human-existence-it-is-the-glue/) [G. Frank Lawlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-frank-lawlis/) > [Giving and receiving are at bottom one thing, dependent on whether one lives open or closed. Living openly one becomes a medium, a transmitter;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/giving-and-receiving-are-at-bottom-one-thing-dependent-on-whether-one/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“The Law of Reciprocity both includes giving and receiving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-arthur/the-law-of-reciprocity-both-includes-giving-and-receiving/) [John Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-arthur/) > [Giving and receiving are different expressions of the same flow of energy in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/giving-and-receiving-are-different-expressions-of-the-same-flow-of/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I have come to believe that giving and receiving are really the same. Giving and receiving - not giving and taking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-grenfell/i-have-come-to-believe-that-giving-and-receiving-are-really-the-same/) [Joyce Grenfell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-grenfell/) > [“It is by degrees of love that we wither or blossom—and I suspect that this holds true in both the giving and receiving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/it-is-by-degrees-of-love-that-we-wither-or-blossom-and-i-suspect-that/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [The giving and receiving is the tricky thing. It's not the gift. It's what the heart says in giving the gift, and from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/the-giving-and-receiving-is-the-tricky-thing-it-s-not-the-gift-it-s/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [What I know for sure is that what you give comes back to you. That's not just my theory or point of view, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/what-i-know-for-sure-is-that-what-you-give-comes-back-to-you-that-s/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Service or giving is the other side of receiving. Giving and receiving is a full circle: a full circle feels more natural than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-huxley/service-or-giving-is-the-other-side-of-receiving-giving-and-receiving/) [Laura Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-huxley/) > ["It's better to give than to receive." Let me put this as elegantly as possible: "What a crock!" That statement is total hogwash, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/it-s-better-to-give-than-to-receive-let-me-put-this-as-elegantly-as/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [The intention behind our giving and receiving is the most important thing. When the act of giving is joyful, when it is unconditional and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-intention-behind-our-giving-and-receiving-is-the-most-important/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“Successful friendships are established on both giving and receiving. Develop a heart to give not only to receive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-arthur/successful-friendships-are-established-on-both-giving-and-receiving/) [John Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-arthur/) > [Giving and receiving love can make life so beautiful!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/giving-and-receiving-love-can-make-life-so-beautiful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What are we going to get out of life? This can understandably be a question of fundamental importance to us. We begin with certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-templeton/what-are-we-going-to-get-out-of-life-this-can-understandably-be-a/) [John Templeton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-templeton/) ## More by Chris Fabry > [Thi is the malady onf the humans, that they can hold on to that which is fleeting and of little consequence and call it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/thi-is-the-malady-onf-the-humans-that-they-can-hold-on-to-that-which/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [To many, God is not someone you know but something you try to get off your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/to-many-god-is-not-someone-you-know-but-something-you-try-to-get-off/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [God has a way of working on His own timetable. And it usually is a lot different from ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/god-has-a-way-of-working-on-his-own-timetable-and-it-usually-is-a-lot/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [“It’s because I want you to remember that character counts. You can be the best there ever was at something, but if you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/it-s-because-i-want-you-to-remember-that-character-counts-you-can-be/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [“Some people are given a great gift of not caring what others think or about anything but being faithful to what they’re called by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/some-people-are-given-a-great-gift-of-not-caring-what-others-think-or/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [“Ruthie was the first to tell me that God hadn’t abandoned me but was drawing me deeper, calling me out of the shallows, past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/ruthie-was-the-first-to-tell-me-that-god-hadn-t-abandoned-me-but-was/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [ “\[...\] the struggle of our lives was not a sign that there was still life. If you stopped struggling, that's when you needed to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/the-struggle-of-our-lives-was-not-a-sign-that-there-was-still-life-if/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [It's funny how aimless a person can feel at times, even when they know God is in control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/it-s-funny-how-aimless-a-person-can-feel-at-times-even-when-they-know/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [“I took her hands in both of mine. “Darlin’, what happened in those woods does not define the rest of your life. People might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/i-took-her-hands-in-both-of-mine-darlin-what-happened-in-those-woods/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [You may forsake a person, a family, some location of the heart, but scars and memories cannot be discarded like used clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/you-may-forsake-a-person-a-family-some-location-of-the-heart-but/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [“It seems to me there are times when you have to act and times when you have to wait, but the hardest times are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/it-seems-to-me-there-are-times-when-you-have-to-act-and-times-when/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [It's a wonderful thing to have a companion like that who just wants to sit by you while you work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/it-s-a-wonderful-thing-to-have-a-companion-like-that-who-just-wants/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [“We were separated by years, tastes in music, food, clothes, and politics, but we delighted in baseball.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/we-were-separated-by-years-tastes-in-music-food-clothes-and-politics/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [Somtimes when you know the right thing to do, you simply have to do it, even though it breaks your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/somtimes-when-you-know-the-right-thing-to-do-you-simply-have-to-do-it/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [Music has a way of filling in the missing places. It is a gift from God above, who didn't have to provide it, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/music-has-a-way-of-filling-in-the-missing-places-it-is-a-gift-from/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) [Explore all 20 Chris Fabry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) ## More Giving and receiving quotes > [“Successful friendships are established on both giving and receiving. Develop a heart to give not only to receive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-arthur/successful-friendships-are-established-on-both-giving-and-receiving/) [John Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-arthur/) > [Love is not a thing to understand. Love is not a thing to feel. Love is not a thing to give and receive. Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/love-is-not-a-thing-to-understand-love-is-not-a-thing-to-feel-love-is/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [“Dharma is about exchange, about giving and receiving, It is about outgrowing animal instincts, outgrowing fear, discovering the ability to feed others, comfort others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/dharma-is-about-exchange-about-giving-and-receiving-it-is-about/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [The law of giving and receiving is fundamental, and relates just as much to God as it does to us. As we go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selwyn-hughes/the-law-of-giving-and-receiving-is-fundamental-and-relates-just-as/) [Selwyn Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selwyn-hughes/) > [Some tension is necessary for the soul to grow, and we can put that tension to good use. We can look for every opportunity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/some-tension-is-necessary-for-the-soul-to-grow-and-we-can-put-that/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [“If a lady offers you a kindness, you absolutely have to accept”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-wallingford/if-a-lady-offers-you-a-kindness-you-absolutely-have-to-accept/) [Maria Wallingford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-wallingford/) > [Giving and receiving love can make life so beautiful!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/giving-and-receiving-love-can-make-life-so-beautiful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I just wanted to make sure that yes, that those horror - they worked as a genre. To me, I just wanted to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-farmiga/i-just-wanted-to-make-sure-that-yes-that-those-horror-they-worked-as/) [Vera Farmiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-farmiga/) > [Give and Take... For to the bee a flower is a fountain if life And to the flower a bee is a messenger of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/give-and-take-for-to-the-bee-a-flower-is-a-fountain-if-life-and-to/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [“connection as “the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/connection-as-the-energy-that-exists-between-people-when-they-feel/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [To give and receive advice - the former with freedom, and yet without bitterness, the latter with patience and without irritation - is peculiarly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/to-give-and-receive-advice-the-former-with-freedom-and-yet-without/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“God divided man into men that they might help each other.' Their strength lies in their mutual help, their pleasure is in their mutual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/god-divided-man-into-men-that-they-might-help-each-other-their/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“No man lives without jostling and being jostled; in all ways he has to elbow himself through the world, giving and receiving offense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-man-lives-without-jostling-and-being-jostled-in-all-ways-he-has-to/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [“When you ask for what you need and receive what people and the world have to give, you open up pathways you couldn’t see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-owen/when-you-ask-for-what-you-need-and-receive-what-people-and-the-world/) [Amanda Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-owen/) > [“The more you divide, the more it yields dividends. Give more, get more!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-bryan-abakah/the-more-you-divide-the-more-it-yields-dividends-give-more-get-more/) [Ned Bryan Abakah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-bryan-abakah/) [Browse all 168 Giving and receiving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-and-receiving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Water that’s not moving becomes stagnant. And if there’s not someone pouring into you, the pitcher gets dusty. A person is most satisfied and most useful when she is both giving and receiving. In marriage. In life. In friendship. 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