--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let us proportion our alms to our…" description: "\"Let us proportion our alms to our ability, lest we provoke God to proportion His blessings to our alms.\" — William Beveridge" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/william-beveridge-25660_ability_let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-abilit_2608573.jpg" --- # Let us proportion our alms to our ability, lest we provoke… ![“Let us proportion our alms to our ability, lest we provoke God to proportion His blessings to our alms.” quote by William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/william-beveridge-25660_ability_let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-abilit_2608573.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/william-beveridge-25660_ability_let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-abilit_2608573.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/william-beveridge-25660_ability_let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-abilit_2608573.jpg) > “Let us proportion our alms to our ability, lest we provoke God to proportion His blessings to our alms.” [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests aligning charitable giving with ability to avoid divine retribution **In simple terms:** Give proportionally to ability to stay blessed Key Takeaway Donate responsibly according to means Themes charity justice spirituality Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - fundraising campaigns - personal budgeting - community service Key Concepts ethical giving theology Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide your charitable limits? - What motivates your giving? A Different Perspective May be interpreted as transactional faith ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Alms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alms/) [Blessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) [Blessings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessings/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) ## Related quotes > [Proportion thy charity to the strength of thine estate, lest God proportion thine estate to the weakness of thy charity. Let the lips of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/proportion-thy-charity-to-the-strength-of-thine-estate-lest-god/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [“We do not pray in order to provoke God into action. If this is our view of prayer, then we are no different to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-krieg/we-do-not-pray-in-order-to-provoke-god-into-action-if-this-is-our/) James Krieg > [“they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. 12:7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-that-provoke-god-are-secure-into-whose-hand-god-bringeth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Give a drink of water as alms to the birds which go forth at morning, and deem that they have a better right than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ma-arri/give-a-drink-of-water-as-alms-to-the-birds-which-go-forth-at-morning/) [Al-Maʿarri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ma-arri/) > [Walking does good to the fat and giving alms does good to the sinners; these both make one feel lighter!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/walking-does-good-to-the-fat-and-giving-alms-does-good-to-the-sinners/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The best remedy for dryness of spirit, is to picture ourselves as beggars in the presence of God and the Saints, and like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-neri/the-best-remedy-for-dryness-of-spirit-is-to-picture-ourselves-as/) [Philip Neri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-neri/) > [“Pesa itolewe kwa masharti au bila masharti chukua, kwani huyo aliyeitoa si yake. Benki, kwa mfano, ikitaka kukupa mkopo itakuwa na masharti yake; chukua,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/pesa-itolewe-kwa-masharti-au-bila-masharti-chukua-kwani-huyo/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [I know that a man who shows me his wealth is like the beggar who shows me his poverty; they are both looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hecht/i-know-that-a-man-who-shows-me-his-wealth-is-like-the-beggar-who/) [Ben Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hecht/) > [The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man's abode.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-setting-sun-is-reflected-from-the-windows-of-the-alms-house-as/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [All religions have honored the beggar. For he proves that in a matter at the same time as prosaic and holy, banal and regenerative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-religions-have-honored-the-beggar-for-he-proves-that-in-a-matter/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [Alms (is) for the purity of your soul, and flourishment and expansion of your sustenence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fatima-bint-muhammad/alms-is-for-the-purity-of-your-soul-and-flourishment-and-expansion-of/) [Fatima bint Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fatima-bint-muhammad/) > [Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/work-is-love-made-visible-and-if-you-cannot-work-with-love-but-only/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Those good men who take such pleasure in relieving the miserable for Christ's sake, would not have been less forward to minister onto Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/those-good-men-who-take-such-pleasure-in-relieving-the-miserable-for/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [In giving alms, let us rather look at the needs of the poor than his claim to your charity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-antoine-petit-senn/in-giving-alms-let-us-rather-look-at-the-needs-of-the-poor-than-his/) [Jean Antoine Petit-Senn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-antoine-petit-senn/) > [If you are to go to Christ, do not put on your good doings and feelings, or you will get nothing. Go in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/if-you-are-to-go-to-christ-do-not-put-on-your-good-doings-and/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) ## More by William Beveridge > [There is a very important distinction between a critical attitude of mind (or critical faculty) and a sceptical attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/there-is-a-very-important-distinction-between-a-critical-attitude-of/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [Unemployment is like a headache or a high temperature - unpleasant and exhausting but not carrying in itself any explanation of its cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/unemployment-is-like-a-headache-or-a-high-temperature-unpleasant-and/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [Organisation of social insurance should be treated as one part only of a comprehensive policy of social progress. Social insurance fully developed may provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/organisation-of-social-insurance-should-be-treated-as-one-part-only/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [Full employment does not mean literally no unemployment; that is to say, it does not mean that every man and woman in the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/full-employment-does-not-mean-literally-no-unemployment-that-is-to/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [No one believes an hypothesis except its originator but everyone believes an experiment except the experimenter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/no-one-believes-an-hypothesis-except-its-originator-but-everyone/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [The State, in organizing security should not stifle incentive, opportunity, responsibility; in establishing a national minimum, it should leave room and encouragement for voluntary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/the-state-in-organizing-security-should-not-stifle-incentive/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [Not only the worst of my sins, but the best of my duties speak me a child of Adam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/not-only-the-worst-of-my-sins-but-the-best-of-my-duties-speak-me-a/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [The human mind likes a strange idea as little as the body likes a strange protein and resists it with a similar energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/the-human-mind-likes-a-strange-idea-as-little-as-the-body-likes-a/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [A cockle-fish may as soon crowd the ocean into its narrow shell, as vain man ever comprehend the decrees of God!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/a-cockle-fish-may-as-soon-crowd-the-ocean-into-its-narrow-shell-as/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [The trouble in modern democracy is that men do not approach to leadership until they have lost the desire to lead anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/the-trouble-in-modern-democracy-is-that-men-do-not-approach-to/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [Scratch a pessimist and you find often a defender of privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/scratch-a-pessimist-and-you-find-often-a-defender-of-privilege/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [There is no inherent mechanism in our present system which can with certainty prevent competitive sectional bargaining for wages from setting up a vicious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/there-is-no-inherent-mechanism-in-our-present-system-which-can-with/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [If the way of heaven be narrow, it is not long; and if the gate be straight, it opens into endless life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/if-the-way-of-heaven-be-narrow-it-is-not-long-and-if-the-gate-be/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [Want is one only of five giants on the road of reconstruction; the others are Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, and Idleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/want-is-one-only-of-five-giants-on-the-road-of-reconstruction-the/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [The trouble in modern democracy is that men do not approach to leadership until they have lost the de e to lead anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/the-trouble-in-modern-democracy-is-that-men-do-not-approach-to-2/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) [Explore all 22 William Beveridge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Let us proportion our alms to our ability, lest we provoke God to proportion His blessings to our alms.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Beveridge" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-ability-lest-we-provoke-god-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-ability-lest-we-provoke-god-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/william-beveridge-25660_ability_let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-abilit_2608573.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/william-beveridge-25660_ability_let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-abilit_2608573.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/william-beveridge-25660_ability_let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-abilit_2608573.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Let us proportion our alms to our ability, lest we provoke God to proportion His blessings to our alms.” — William Beveridge", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Beveridge", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Let us proportion our alms to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-ability-lest-we-provoke-god-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/let-us-proportion-our-alms-to-our-ability-lest-we-provoke-god-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```