I GAVE MY LIFE FOR THEE

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself the question, what have I done with my life? That was a question that Frances R. Havergal (1836 - 1879), much like us, often asked herself. When she was 22 she was visiting relatives in Germany. She was weary from visiting sites there and as she sat to rest in an art museum in Dusseldorf she saw a painting of Christ, wearing a crown of thorns, standing before Pilate and the mob. Under the painting by Sternberg were the words, "This have I done for thee; what hast thou done for Me?" She was deeply moved and with tears in her eyes she found a piece of scrap paper and scribbled down what would become the words of this great hymn. Returning home from her trip, she decided that the poetry really was poor so she threw it into a stove. Somehow the paper was scorched but not burnt and it floated out of the flames and landed on the floor. Later it was found there by her father, the Rev. Eilliam Havergal, an Anglican minister who himself was a poet and musician. He encouraged her to preserve the poem by composing the first melody for it. Later the tune for this test was composed by the noted American gospel songwriter, Philip P. Bliss, and was first published in 1873. Since then the hymn has been sung by thousands around the world. And this week the hymn should remind us that Christ gave His life for us. He left all the glories of heaven to pay a terrible price so that we could be ransomed. His precious blood has made our salvation possible. And the question remains, what have we done for Him?

1. I gave My life for thee,

My precious blood I shed,

That thou might'st ransomed be,

And quickened from the dead;

I gave, I gave My life for thee,

What hast thou given for Me?

I gave, I gave My life for thee,

What hast thou given for Me?

2. My Father's house of light,

My glory circled throne,

I left, for earthly night,

For wanderings sad and lone;

I left, I left it all for thee,

Hast thou left aught for Me?

I left, I left it all for thee,

Hast thou left aught for Me?

3. I suffered much for thee,

More than the tongue can tell,

Of bitterest agony,

To rescue thee from hell;

I've borne, I've borne it all for thee,

What hast thou borne for Me?

I've borne, I've borne it all for thee,

What hast thou borne for Me?

4. And I have brought to thee,

Down from My home above,

Salvation full and free,

My pardon and My love;

I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee,

What hast thou brought to Me?

I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee,

What hast thou brought to Me?

It was hard to find a music video for this hymn because so many are sung to a different melody than the one that I remember and find in current hymn books. And the few that do use this melody are rather poorly done. But here is one that you can watch and listen to that is close. LISTEN