“Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold.” – Frances Havergal
Many of the most beautiful prayers are found in the form of hymns. One of these prayers is a hymn written by Frances Havergal in 1874. Frances was a young woman who wanted to grow in her faith. She wanted to experience God, grow close to Jesus, and know the power of the Holy Spirit at work in her life and in the life of others. Frances wanted to know the joy that comes through a life of faith. Although she often struggled with her health, she used her gifts of music to communicate her heart for God. She used her gifts to share God’s love with others.
Frances Havergal knew that one way to experience God and grow in her faith was to give her time and resources to help those in need. She knew that when she gave her time and money, she would open herself up to experience God’s love and grace in a special way. She captured that in two wonderful verses of the hymn she wrote, “Take My Life and Let it Be”:
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
One of the things that prevents us from experiencing God and the things of God is our desire to hold on to our most treasured things. When we offer our treasure, in service to God, we find that we have more than enough for ourselves and to bless others.
I hope today you will take some time to pray these beautiful verses from this wonderful hymn. Today is a wonderful day to renew our commitment that we are called to live “Ever, only all for God.”
– Rev Keith King, Pastor of Worship
