“Give it all you got” is a phrase that cannot be tied as quoted by any one person. This phrase can be found used by sports legends, motivational speakers, musicians and singers, poets and authors, business leaders, and even Ethel Kennedy herself. It is a phrase that is meant to be words of encouragement. The Urban Dictionary defines the phrase to mean: To put forth all of one’s energy and effort into something; to give it one’s best effort; to try as hard as one can. But in terms of our Lord, “give it all you got” is not about encouragement or best effort.

An excerpt of a sermon entitled “Waste” by Watchman Nee questions: What are we wasting? “Now here is the whole question of waste, and of what the Lord is after. Today, even amongst Christians, there can be found much of that spirit that wants to give as little as possible to the Lord, and yet to get as much as possible from Him. The prevailing thought today is of being used, as though that were the one thing that mattered. That my little rubber band should be stretched to the very limit seems all important. But this is not the Lord’s mind. The Lord wants us to be used, yes; but what He is after is that we pour all we have, ourselves, to Him, and if that be all, that is enough. It is not a question of whether the poor have been helped or not, but of whether the Lord has been satisfied. The question is not one of working for Him, my friends, but of service to Him, of ministering to the Lord. That is what He is after; that I should give Him my all, even though people should say, ‘You are doing nothing!’ My service to the Lord is to please Him. There is many a meeting we might take, many a convention at which we might speak, many a campaign in which we might share, but this is not the first consideration. That my usefulness should be brought to the full is not what the Lord is after, but His concern is rather with my position at His feet and my anointing of His head. What I have as an alabaster box, the most precious thing, my whole life. I give it all up to the Lord. It seems as if it is a waste, but that is what He is after.”

“Give it all you got” is truly surrendering to Him all of what is precious to us; and that is ourselves, which is most precious to Him. Only then can we be transformed.