We sometimes hear the term, “I am sorry but I gave it my all, the whole nine yards.” When we hear that, we know it came from a person who probably failed the task and failed, as well, to “give it their all.” Ordinarily, a person or a group will never undertake to do something that they know or believe to be beyond their capability. Therefore, if they “give it their all,” they will more than likely be successful at it. It is only in situations and circumstances created by others or by nature that a person who fails, can justifiably say that they had “given it their all.” Few people using the term “they gave it the whole nine yards” actually know what that means. World War II fighter pilots in the Pacific, when arming their airplanes on the ground, prepared their 50-caliber machine gun ammo belts, measuring 27 feet long, before they loaded them into the fuselage. When in combat, if the pilots fired all their ammo at a target, it got “the whole nine yards.” For those who struggle with simple math, 27 feet of ammo divided by a yard or three feet = nine yards. That is a lot of firepower at one target—so, more than likely a target getting the whole nine yards is devastated or demolished. When we give something our best effort and accomplish what we had hoped to, we too, might say that we gave it our all or “the whole nine yards.”
It isn’t often that we are asked to give an assignment “our all,” but when we do, the chances for our being successful increases significantly over “just” being asked to do something. In life, most of us want to succeed and to be able to find employment that will help us better provide for our families. Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” We should try to do the best we can at everything we attempt, for if we do that, that will become our legacy. The other side of that argument is that we only have so much to give, so much strength, so much energy, and too many obligations. Therefore, the rationale might be, Don’t beat yourself up for not giving it your all. Be grateful that your subconscious knows exactly how much you should hold back and how much you should reserve for your next assignment(s).
When it comes to church assignments, we should want to do our best for the Lord. Matthew instructs us to serve and to love “… the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) That probably includes strength and energy as well. We must give Him our very best. Then, and only then, will we be worshipping God “in spirit and in truth.”
In the Old Testament, in the fourth chapter of Genesis, we are reminded of the first instance of sacrifice as well as the first instance of violence. The story is of two brothers, one a herdsman and one a farmer. The herdsman offered the firstling of his flock and his offering was accepted by the Lord. The other brother offered his produce, but his offering was rejected. Why do we suppose that one was accepted and one was not? Abel offered the firstling of his flock, that which was without blemish, his very best. Cain, on the other hand, more than likely offered produce that was less than the best of his crop, for he wanted to keep the best for himself, and therefore his offering was rejected. When we give, do we evaluate our gift first and say to ourselves this is good enough, though it is not our best? When we are not giving God “our all,” or our best, do we suppose that He does not know? That reminds me of another story.
Jesus, while in the synagogue sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the people as they put their money in the treasury. Many were very rich and put in large sums of money. Then, a poor widow came by, and she put in two small coins which were only worth a penny. Jesus called His disciples to him and said, “This poor widow has put in more than all those who are giving to the treasury. They gave out of their wealth, but she gave “all that she had.” She gave the “whole nine yards.” We are given an opportunity to give each time we receive our earnings. Ten percent of that should be given as tithing. We are also asked to give a fast offering for the poor and needy amongst us. How do we give? As Cain or as the poor widow? In our opportunities to serve, do we hold back or do we give the whole nine yards? God knows!