TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

For a good while i had to reconsider the hymn “Take my life and let it be”. Not that it had any error in it or conflicted with any of my believes as a Christian, but I would always ask myself, “am I ready to really surrender  my life to Christ and allow Him do whatever He wills with it? Yes I know it is God's desire that i be consecrated from all unrighteousness. He desires that I may do all things pure and true that He may be seen in me, but am I ready to surrender the key to my heart?”

There were rooms in my heart that I kept to myself. Every time the hymn would play, it was as though a knock is made at the doors of these very rooms. with a torn voice I could whisper in my mind, “Lord, not today. Come another time.” I would repeat this not once, not twice but it became an habit. But patiently my savior kept knocking until one day I was ready yo open one of the doors. I saw Him through off the things that kept me comfortable and happy. Things that in them I found “peace for a while”. I never was ready for this but His tender voice gave me the comfort these things never gave me. He said to me, “Son, come rest for a while. You have for a long time struggled to keep yourself busy and happy. None of these have you found in these things. If any, it lasted but for a while.” I nodded my head in agreement as i shed tears of relief.

On analyzing the other parts of the hymn, I realized He desired that I surrender my hands to move at the impulse of His love and my feet to be swift and beautiful for Him. I never thought it could get that close. It was God's desire that I may serve Him reflecting His love. I may go to places He shall send me swiftly and with the beautiful message that He loves all humanity. Even to those I hate, those who have stood by me when i needed just someone to tell… How will I share  to them yet by hearing names close to theirs in and table, my heart jumps with hatred and pain remembering well how it felt when it first happened? This was never easy. As I thought of it it got more complicated as I realized that I am not doing all this to be seen as a good person before the eyes of my friends but for my King's sake.

He not only demanded my life, my feet and hands, but also He demanded my will that i may make it His. My heart to be His royal throne. Was I supposed to let Him dictate me on what I behold, listen to, places I go, what I eat and even my dress? Seemingly, yes. 

As if this was not enough, I was required to surrender the fruits of my sweat, my silver and my gold, that He may have control on how I spend my finances. Okay, I can try that because anyway, I will still be the one in possession of all these. He can not mislead me. 

When it reached a point He demanded that I surrender my love to Him, is where I never was ready. There was this girl i loved. Do you want to tell me I was supposed to let Him decide for me who to have for love? What if whoever He decides for me doesn't please me? I was not ready to do that.

So, for a long time I hesitated to make this hymn mine. I will sing it just to add a harmony to fellow congregation singers. But it never was part of me. I took my decisions served the desires of my heart with the best meats of life. Little did I know that I was loosing a golden opportunity.

But God. He was faithfully knocking still at my heart.

One day, the song was floated again for worship. This time it met me the moment i needed it most. I had had all that I thought with my wisdom was the best decisions but none had yielded any peace in my heart. Even the very decision i thought experience from others had thought me, yielded nothing but a great disappointment in my heart. I had tried to prove myself a man. A thing, had I been wise and inquired of Job, He would have advised me that it was foolish to gather my loins to prove myself a man before God. I had tried to prove myself strong and kicked against the pricks. A thing which Paul could advise me against. 

This day I sang the song meditating upon each word and at the conclusion i made it my prayer. I realized how far I had gone. How easy it could have been had I surrendered to Him long go. 

As I thought through the song reflecting on how long it had taken Christ waiting for me, I appreciated His love. 

This is the love I want to share with you friend. You my not have had a reason to surrender to God that He may take charge of any part of your life. But His love has compelled Him to wait for you to let Him into your life. It doesn't matter to Him how many times you have peeped on Him as He stands at the door. It doesn't matter how many times you have closed the door before His face. He still waits for you. He still waits for you to say, 'Dear Lord,

May you find courage to sing this hymn and make it part of your life more better than I did.