1. When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died; my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God; all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood.
3. See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown.
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
While singing this hymn this morning I was thinking over the implications of the words. The first thing that struck me was in verse two where it says "all the vain things that charm me most" I got to thinking about all the things in this life that I have yet to fully sacrifice to the Lord, whether in giving them up or in giving them over to His will. I thought about my desires for the things of this life such as material possessions, relationships, and even future relationships. I can't help but think that those are things that I have not yet fully given over to His will. I say in my heart "but I want" or "yes, I'm consigned to Your will, but doesn't it include _____" I am again brought to the realization that I have not yet today given those fully over. I do think at times that I do, but then I grasp for them once again, clinging onto any hope of having them so desperately.
Then in the fourth verse where it states that God's amazing love demands my soul, my life and my all, Wow! It's one of those things that is so easy to say "yeah, I know that" but that you actually rarely sit down and think about. God shed His own Son's blood for me, He owns my life. Am I submitting to His authority? Or am I simply running around making decisions left and right without much thought as to His will? I confess that more often than not I don't bring every decision before His throne. Sure the "big" things I remember....but everything? Am I giving my all to Jesus? What does it mean to give my all? I think it points to the whole matter of control and my need to surrender it completely over. To not try and direct my life where I want it to be, to be doing what I think is right, or what I think will make me happy... I need to be emptied of myself, my pride, my own desires even that I may be filled with Christ. How could I want anything less when I see even the tiniest glimpse of what I am and Who Christ is?
This reminds me of another Hymn "I Surrender All" verse two goes like this : "All to Jesus I surrender; humbly at his feet I bow, worldly pleasures all forsaken; take me, Jesus, take me now." This is my desire and my song today.
3 comments:
Thankyou Taylor for that!I am very encouraged by what you had to say here!Love,Kelsey
Our God did not give us free will to have us empty ourselves of personal desires. We would then be robots. He wishes to have a relationship with us as a personality, and he wouldn't have given us a world full of so many joyful experiences and activities if we were supposed to ask him what personality to put on. Songs of any stripe are only the views of the writer, and dangerous to take as direction. There's a lot of tripe in "Gospel" songs.
First off, I apologize that you had to wait so long for my reply, I put it off to give it some thought and then continued to procrastinate, its my own fault and I apologize for that.
I agree that songs shouldn't be the sole reason to believe something or to base those beliefs or life choices on, but in this case I believe this is based on scripture, and this song merely reminded me of that truth.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says this " Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." I am not my own to do as I will, but God's to do as He wills, that doesn't change my personality, but it gives me purpose in all that I do, My life was bought, with the precious blood of Christ, my Savior, He has redeemed me from my sin, He did not save me from my sin to see me continue in it or disregard what He has for me, He has a plan and purpose for my life, and my ultimate desire is to be Faithful to do whatever He calls me to, if that means giving up personal desires for worldly things that is nothing in comparison with what He has given up for me. Romans 12:1 says "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
we are to be a living sacrifice to God, I count it a privilege to do so, not a burden or hardship. Not a giving up of my personality, but a newfound freedom to be who He wants me to be, no longer enslaved to sin and to the lusts and desires of the flesh, but free to live a holy life in Christ Jesus, my Lord
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