No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
—Matthew 6:24
This text reminds me of the hymn “Take My Life and Let it Be.” The hymn was written on February 4, 1874, by Frances R. Havergal. The author had a houseful of guests which inspired her to pen these words: “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in endless praise.”
She followed with 5 more verses. Frances reminisces about the night she wrote the hymn: “There were ten persons in the house, some unconverted and long prayed for, some converted but not rejoicing Christians. He gave me the prayer, ‘Lord, give me all in this house.’ And He just did. Before I left the house everyone had got a blessing. The last night of my visit I was too happy to sleep, and passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration, and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart, one after another till they finished with ‘Ever, only, all for thee.’”
It is verse 4 that seems appropriately paired with today’s scripture lesson: “Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect and use every power as thou shalt choose.”
The hymn includes stanzas on hands, feet, voice, lips, will – all intended to be dedicated, consecrated to the Lord. The last verse talks about love and culminates as her memoir states with “ever, only, all for thee”: “Take my love; my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee.”
Prayer
God, help us to serve always and only You. We have so many distractions in this life, but You are our only true Master. Help us fix our eyes on You in all things, day by day and year by year. Amen.
Amen. Thank you Jeremy
Amen!