~Take My Life and Let It Be (1)

       Frances Ridley Havergal, born on December 14, 1836, England, is often referred to as the consecration poet. It has been said that the beauty of a consecrated life has never been more perfectly revealed than in her daily living.

       Throughout her brief life Miss Havergal was frail and delicate in health, yet she was an avid student, writer and composer. She learned several modern languages as well as Greek and Hebrew.

       Take My Life and Let It Be was written by Miss Havergal in 1874. She has left the following account—

       I went for a little visit of five days. There were ten persons in the house; some were 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 renewal of my consecration, and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart one after another ’til they finished with ‘ever only, ALL FOR THEE!’

       Her prayer, Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold, was not lightly stated.

       In August, 1878, Miss Havergal wrote to a friend:

       The Lord has shown me another little step, and, of course, I have taken it with extreme delight. ‘Take my silver and my gold’ now means shipping off all my ornaments to the church Missionary House, including a jewel cabinet that is really fit for a countess, where all will be accepted and disposed of for me...I don’t think I ever packed a box with such pleasure.

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Take my life and let it be

(1) Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love,

At the impulse of Thy love.

(2) Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee;

Take my voice and let me sing

Always, only, for my King,

always, only for my King.

(3) Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages for Thee;

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

(4) Take my love, my God, I pour

At Thy feet its treasures store;

Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee,

Ever, only, all for Thee.

~Take My Life And Let It Be (2)

       Frances Havergal wrote her famous hymn, Take My Life in 1874. It was not until 1878 that the lines were put into print. When she read the second stanza:

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold,

she was suddenly convicted of her failure to do just that. She had an amazing collection of exquisite jewelry, most of which came by gift or inheritance. Immediately, she packed the jewels, and sent them to her church missionary society. Then, just to be sure, she included a check to cover the monetary value of the jewels she had chosen to keep! I don’t think I need to tell you I have never packed a box with such pleasure! she exclaimed.

—Christian Index