Steve Harvey says the decades he has spent as an entertainer, motivational speaker, and author are blessings from God — and those blessings come with strings attached.
“The more God trusts you, the more he will bless you, but he has to trust you with what he’s going to give,” Harvey said to The Associated Press following a recent appearance at the Social Innovation Summit in Atlanta. “And a part of what he is going to give to you is going to require that you take a portion of it and return the favor.”
Zeev Klein, CEO of Landmark Ventures and founder and curator of the Social Innovation Summit, praised Harvey’s message as especially meaningful given the many pressing challenges society faces today.
“Steve has an extraordinary ability to meet the moment with honesty, empathy, and clarity,” Klein said. “He doesn’t just speak to an audience, he connects people in a way that moves conversations forward.”
Harvey, best known as the longtime host of “Family Feud” and a star of many movies and television programs, takes charitable giving seriously — particularly through The Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation, which he co-founded with his wife. He has also made a point of passing that commitment on to his children.
Harvey says his philosophy on giving was shaped by his mother, who taught him that receiving blessings means becoming a blessing to others. He emphasized that when giving to someone in need, it is not the giver’s place to judge how the recipient uses the help.
“You have to give to people without expecting anything in return. It’s your job,” Harvey said. “When you give to somebody you don’t have the right to make the determination what they need it for… If you do it with the intent to help, the reward is given back to you.”
Harvey also spoke about the divide between those who have experienced poverty and those who have not, arguing that a lack of understanding fuels many of today’s social problems.
“People who don’t know what it is like to be without, they come from a different perspective,” he said. “They don’t know what it is to grovel… But when you don’t listen to them, you don’t want to hear their story, then you keep acting as though you’ve been rich the whole time. That’s the problem we have today.”
When it comes to his own children, Harvey said he made sure they grew up with comfort and opportunity — but also with humility. Each of his children had their own room, bathroom, desk, and computer. However, he made certain they understood they had not earned those privileges on their own.
“You don’t have the right to think you are better than anybody else. You just hit the jackpot, I’m your daddy,” Harvey recalled telling them. He also shared a lesson he passed on to all his children: “Justice is when you get what you deserve. Mercy is when you don’t get what you deserve. But grace is when you get what you don’t deserve. My children were born into grace.”
Harvey also reflected on changes he has noticed over the years in the boys who attend his youth camp. He said the messaging has had to shift because today’s campers are different from those in earlier years.
“It’s a softer boy that’s being raised now,” Harvey said. “We used to go right into the tough stuff. Now we gotta ease them off the bus.” Despite the adjustments, Harvey said the core lessons remain intact. “For the five days I got them, we still show them how life really works. You don’t get participation trophies in life.”
