Take My Life that I May Be, ELW 685 & LBW 406
1 Take my life, that I may be consecrated, Lord, to thee; take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 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.
3 Take my voice and let me sing always, only, for my King; take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold; take my intellect, and use ev'ry pow'r as thou shalt choose.
5 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.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure store; take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee.
Devotion
“I never knew this following Jesus stuff could be such hard work…and so fulfilling.” Those were the words of a member of the church I serve as he left my office the other day. He seemed to finally grasp the idea that the call to discipleship is a serious call that demands and expects us to work hard, to give of ourselves, and to be stretched. And furthermore, he finally realized that same hard-working call was a life-giving call that nothing could top. Take my life that I may be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee. The joy that comes from following the Lord, from setting apart, consecrating our lives to the glory of what God is doing through us, is absolutely amazing. Sure, it may be hard and it may take work and it may demand a change of priorities but nothing, nothing is greater. May we all join in singing and living boldly out our calling to give all we are and all we have to the Glory of God.
Prayer
Calling God, your call is to follow. Your call is to go. Your call is to give of ourselves. Help me, I pray, to be opened to where you lead, bold in my commitment, and unashamed of your message. Amen.