All of His
September 14, 2025
Dr. Paul Cannings
Giving is often viewed as an obligation—a matter of counting what God tells us to do—rather than as a heartfelt response to His goodness, grace, and kindness toward us and our families. A humorous yet convicting story illustrates this: A new convert once told his pastor, “If I had fifty pigs, I’d give twenty-five to the Lord.” The pastor asked, “If you had thirty, would you give fifteen?” “Of course,” the man replied. “And if you had ten, would you give five?” “Absolutely,” he said. Then the pastor asked, “If you had two, would you give one to the Lord?” The man hesitated and said, “Now Pastor, don’t ask me that. You know I only have two pigs.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths Copyright 1995 by AMG International, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission). This story shows how easy it is to speak of generosity in theory, but how difficult it can be to give sacrificially when it involves what we actually have.
True giving comes from a heart of gratitude. When the Israelites were delivered from Egypt and God instructed them to give, they responded with joy because they genuinely appreciated how powerfully God had rescued them from cruel oppression (Exodus 35:20–36; 36:1-7). Their contributions came from the heart (Exodus 35:21–22, 25, 29). Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 8:1–5, the Macedonian believers—despite their poverty—gave generously and with joy, not out of compulsion, but as a response to the grace of God they had received. They were Gentiles who hadn’t sought the Gospel; rather, Paul came to them because God sent him (Acts 9:15). And why did God send him? Because “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). From the beginning, God had the Gentile nations in mind (Genesis 12:3), and in the fullness of time, He fulfilled that promise (Galatians 4:4).
This reveals an important truth: most people don’t give generously to strangers; they give to those they love. That’s the key difference between Cain and Abel. Cain gave because he was told to, but Abel gave because of his reverence and love for God (Genesis 4:1–11; Hebrews 11:4). Jesus taught, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). Giving is an indicator of where our hearts truly lie, which is why 2 Corinthians 9:10–11 says that giving leads to righteousness. Jesus also said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 15:14). Obedience that flows from love is far different from duty performed out of guilt. So, if we claim to love God, why is giving often so difficult—especially when He saved us while we were still lost and not seeking Him (Romans 3:11), and when we were destined for eternal separation from Him?
Ultimately, giving should never be a grudging responsibility. It should be an act of thanksgiving (2 Corinthians 9:7), a joyful expression of love and worship toward a God who gave everything for us. God is not after our money; He is after our hearts. And when our hearts are fully His, generosity flows naturally—because we are simply reflecting the character of the One who gave first.