I’ve often found myself moved by the hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be,” but it wasn’t until I faced personal trials that its message took root in my heart. This simple yet profound hymn is a prayer of surrender—of giving every part of our lives to the Lord’s service. Yet, how often do we resist fully letting go, holding on to areas of our lives we think we can manage better? I know I’ve done that more times than I’d care to admit. But God, in His goodness, has a way of gently reminding us that we are His, and in His hands is where we find true peace.
A Song of Consecration
The opening lines, “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee,” are an invitation for God to enter into every aspect of our lives. The word “consecrated” is significant here—it means to be set apart for God’s holy purposes. When I sing these words, I feel the weight of that invitation. It’s not a casual offering; it’s a commitment to lay down our will, our desires, and our plans for something far greater—God’s perfect will.
I am reminded of Romans 12:1, where Paul urges us to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Surrendering our lives to God isn’t just a one-time decision; it’s a daily act of faith. Each day presents new opportunities to let go of our need for control and allow God to guide us. When I reflect on the times I’ve resisted surrendering certain areas of my life, it’s usually been because I was afraid—afraid of what God might ask of me, or what He might take away. But the beauty of consecration is that it’s not about loss—it’s about trust. Trusting that the One who made us knows what is best for us, even when we don’t understand.
Take My Hands and Let Them Move
One line that often brings me to a moment of pause is, “Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.” Hands are a symbol of our actions, the way we interact with the world around us. When we ask God to take our hands, we’re inviting Him to direct what we do—how we serve, how we love, and how we live. I think of the countless ways my hands have been busy over the years, often with tasks that were more about my agenda than God’s.
In Colossians 3:23, Paul instructs us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” This is a reminder that every action, no matter how small, can be an act of worship when it is done with a heart surrendered to God. It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life, to let our hands be driven by the demands of the day. But when I reflect on this hymn, I am reminded that my hands are not my own—they belong to God, and they should be instruments of His love and grace in the world.
Take My Will and Make It Thine
Perhaps the most challenging part of this hymn is the line, “Take my will and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.” Surrendering our will to God’s is no small task. Our will is often the most stubborn part of us, clinging to the illusion of control. We like to plan, to map out our future, and to hold tightly to our own desires. But Jesus modeled perfect surrender for us in Matthew 26:39 when, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Not as I will, but as you will.” Even in the face of unimaginable suffering, Jesus submitted to the Father’s will.
In my own life, I’ve seen how difficult it can be to truly let go of my will. There have been seasons where I’ve fought against God’s direction, convinced that I knew better. But every time I’ve surrendered—every time I’ve let go of my plans and trusted in His—God has proven Himself faithful. His ways are higher than ours, and though we may not always understand them, we can trust that they are good. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
A Life Fully Surrendered
“Take my life and let it be” isn’t just a hymn we sing on Sunday mornings—it’s a prayer for daily living. It’s a call to trust God with everything, from the mundane details of our day-to-day lives to the deepest desires of our hearts. It’s about letting go of our fears, our need for control, and our reluctance to follow where God leads.
When I look back on the moments when I’ve struggled to surrender, I see now how God was patiently waiting for me to release my grip and trust Him. And every time I have, He’s shown me that His plans are far better than mine. He has a way of turning even the most difficult circumstances into opportunities for growth, healing, and deeper reliance on Him.
Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This is the promise we cling to when we surrender our lives to God. We don’t give up control because we’re forced to—we do it because we trust that the One we’re surrendering to loves us and knows what is best.
A Prayer for Daily Surrender
As I reflect on the words of “Take My Life and Let It Be,” I am reminded that surrender is not a one-time event, but a daily choice. Each morning, we have the opportunity to offer our lives anew to God, trusting that He will guide us, strengthen us, and use us for His glory. It is a prayer of humility, of trust, and of faith—a reminder that we belong to a God who loves us more deeply than we can imagine.
Although the phrase is “Take My Life” I pray we learn to “Give Our Life” and that we each learn to surrender our lives—our hands, our will, our hearts—more fully to Him, trusting that in His hands, our lives will be used for His good and perfect purposes.