The Biggest Shovel
Lessons from Paul and Excavation
Robert Gilmour “R.G.” LeTourneau knew a lot about shovels.
As the founder of LeTourneau Technologies, R.G. secured 299 patents related to earthmoving and manufacturing. Nearly 75 percent of the earthmoving equipment used by Allied Forces during World War II was supplied by his factories, and his equipment made construction possible for massive projects like the Boulder Highway (Nevada), the Orange County Dam (California), and the 1,500-mile Alaska Highway (Canada).
Yet R.G. understood that his life’s purpose was about far more than moving dirt. Motivated by his faith, he and his wife, Evelyn, were generous philanthropists throughout their lifetimes, donating an estimated 90 percent of their income to Christian ministries and other charitable causes.
About his charitable giving, R.G. once said, “I shovel it out, and God shovels it back — but God has a bigger shovel.”
R.G. and Evelyn are now in their heavenly home, but the ripple of their generosity continues. Thanks to their purposeful estate planning, the LeTourneau Foundation provides ongoing funding for Kingdom-building work around the world.
Generous on Every Occasion
Throughout his first and second letters to the Corinthian church, Paul describes the reality that R.G. experienced throughout his lifetime.
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:10–11, NIV)
In short, Paul’s letters repeatedly affirm…
- Everything we have is a gift from God.
- These gifts were intended to be sown for His righteous harvest.
- Generosity is proportional to the amount we’ve been given.
- Giving cheerfully is an act of worship and thanksgiving.
- We can’t outgive God.
These truths have nothing to do with how much or little we own. Whether we’re dirt poor, or we’ve hit pay dirt, the challenge for all believers remains the same.
Pick up the shovel and keep moving earth—with joy, faith, and full-hearted surrender.
After all, we can’t outgive the One who gave us everything. God will always have the bigger shovel.
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This content is written as part of Generosity Today (2026, Issue 1).
