I was thinking about this hymn the other day that we sometimes sing – “Take My Life and Let it Be” (Frances R. Havergal, 1874; posted on https://library.timelesstruths.org/music)
- Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
*Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless 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 pow’r 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.
The theme of the song is surrendering oneself entirely to wholly live for and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
The hymn writer mentions parts of our being – hands, feet, voice, lips, intellect, heart, love.
These scriptures come to mind:
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
We were “bought with a price,” and that price was the shed, precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Roman 12:1-2)
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Upon conversion, we became God’s. He owns every part of us – body, soul and spirit. The Spirit of God dwells in us the moment we embrace Christ as our Savior and Lord. We have begun a new life in Christ. We are to think and live differently than we did before: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3,4,7)
“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:1-2)
“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:21-22)
Jesus became the Lord of our life upon conversion. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:” (Colossians 2:6).
And so, we cannot do anything we want anymore, because we are not our own! He is our Lord and we are his servants.
Whenever we are tempted to lust after someone or something, think about this – that my hands, my feet, my eyes, and so on, are not mine anymore. They belong to God. All of me and all that I have belongs to Him!
This thought should help immediately arrest us and keep us from acting apart from God regarding what we do, where we go and what we see or desire.
Thankfully, when we do fail on occasion, we are reminded by John – “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)