Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense his own already ... It is like a small child going to its father and saying, 'Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present.' It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is sixpence to the good on the transaction.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the belief that every ability and capacity we possess, whether it be our intellect or physical abilities, are gifts from God. It suggests that even if we were to dedicate our entire lives to serving God, we cannot offer anything that wasn't already bestowed upon us by Him. The analogy of a child asking for money from their father to buy him a present highlights the idea that, in the same way, our offerings to God cannot truly add anything to His wealth or goodness. It challenges the notion that our actions have the power to elevate or enrich God.

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