If you haven’t any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.

If you haven’t any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.  Bob Hope

Meaning  of  Quote  :
To me, this is a quote about the condition of your heart. Not the actual physical condition of the heart, but the spiritual and emotional state of your heart, and therefore, by extension, of you.

In the case of this quote, the measure is charity. A heart with a great deal of charity in it is presumed to be in good shape. A heart without any charity isn’t in good shape, according tot he quote.

Specifically, it states that a heart without any charity in it is in the worst shape of all. Bob Hope, the author of the quote, had a scare or two with his heart, but he recognized that a lack of charity was the worst kind of heart condition one could have.

Why is charity important?  
Bob believed in charity, and dedicated a great deal of his later years to charitable activities. As a troubled youth, he got excellent help from a school for troubled youth, which he supported when he started making money.

He understood what it was like to be on both ends of charity, and how necessary it is for a person to be able and willing to both give and receive charity. He recognized that we all need help of some sort at different points in our lives.

While some think of charity as strictly being a cash transaction, whether it be for food, housing, or health care, charity includes any giving to one in need. It could be counseling, coaching, a kind word, a willing ear, or a shoulder on which to cry.

Where can we apply this in our life?
Charity in the United States has come, once again, to be a bit of a stigma. At one point, people were too proud to take it, but now (at least in some cases) it has gone to the opposite extreme. Some people are busy messing with the system, trying to get all they can out of it, while doing as little as possible to be worthy of it.

For many, this is the modern stigma. The bad actors have made such a reputation for themselves that their bad behavior casts a shadow on those who truly need help. Yet, in my opinion, we must still help others in need, we must still be charitable, even if some of what we do will be taken by the greedy.

Charitable giving must be about the kind of person we are, not about the kind of person who might take advantage of our generosity. Those people will always be out there, like jackals, looking for an easy meal. We cannot allow them to harden our hearts to the point where we leave the truly needy without succor.

Most of us have had some sort of help (for those who balk at the thought of having received charity) from someone at some point in our lives. Whether it was from a councilor, coach or teacher at school or a mentor at work, someone helped you at some point. I would even count friends, even though an argument could be made that it’s part of their job description. 

Take a moment to think of the times when others have been there in your hour of need. Again, don’t limit yourself to cash donations, but include emotional support and any other type of help you received. How did it feel to know someone was there to help you?

Now think about how it would have felt if no one had been there. Or, as most of us have, think of a time when there wasn’t anyone there when we had need of them. I’m sure it didn’t feel very good, and I’m sure it doesn’t feel very good when others are in that situation either.

Yes, it’s easy to become cynical and harden our hearts when people weren’t there for us, but it is just as easy to use that same feeling of loss to ensure that no-one else suffers as you did. The same stimulus can give very different results, it’s up to you to select the path you will take.

It’s up to you to decide what you are going to do, how you will be or will not be charitable, whether you will show compassion or withhold it. Your skill sets and your aptitudes will help determine what form of contribution will work best for you. Do you have more money or more time? Do you prefer to work with teens or with the elderly?

There are a lot of people out there who could use a little help. What do you think you can do to help? Find some time, some money, some effort, some energy and do what you can to help out. You can provide a useful service, and give others hope (no pun intended). I do, and so can you.