Ever, only, all for Thee

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.
“Take My Life and Let It Be” by Frances Ridley Havergal

I can’t even remember the first time I sang these words. I memorized them years ago, learning the phrase that followed each gift to God. It was a challenge–could I say them all in order?

Now, this hymn has become one of my favorite prayers. Take my life, Lord, take me–everything of mine, all that I am–You gave me life, and now I give it back to you. Sometimes I wonder how we can really give every area of our lives to God, and this hymn illustrates what a life given completely to God looks like. We can use our voices to praise Him all day long, we can use our hands to accomplish His work, we can use our minds in a way that glorifies Him. But I fail so often! My days aren’t full of praise for Him; far too often, I complain. My hands move at the impulse of my own desires and self-will instead of His. My lips slip and say things other than messages from God. And my will–it is mine! When will I learn the prayer, “Not my will be done, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42)? My heart–my love–is divided. I do not give Him all my heart, but instead save a little for my own idols...family, music, friends...not necessarily bad things, but my heart can only be the throne for One.

So please Lord, take my life–and don’t let me ask for it back again! Take me, every word, thought, and action, and let me be ever, only, all for Thee.

'Take my life!' We have said it or sung it before the Lord, it may be
many times; but if it were only once whispered in His ear with full purpose of heart, should we not believe that He heard it? And if we know that He heard it, should we not believe that He has answered it, and fulfilled this, our heart's desire? For with Him hearing means heeding...

...The Lord always does His own work thoroughly if we will only let Him do it; if we put our case into His hands, He will search and probe fully and firmly, though very tenderly. Very painfully, it may be, but only that He may do the very thing we want,--cleanse us and heal us thoroughly, so that we may set off to walk in real newness of life. But if we do not put it unreservedly into His hands, it will be no use
thinking or talking about our lives being consecrated to Him...

...Having already said, 'Take my life, for I cannot give it to Thee,' let us now say, with deepened conviction, that without Christ we really can do nothing,--'Keep my life, for I cannot keep it for Thee.'

(Read the rest of Miss Havergal’s meditation on this hymn here:
http://articles.ochristian.com/article13899.shtml )