Hymns With A Message: ALL FOR JESUS

Sunday, February 20, 2022

ALL FOR JESUS

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." Romans 12:1 NLT

I'm sure that we've all read this verse often, probably in different translations. Many of us have even memorized it. But while we know what it says and want to obey it, unfortunately in the pressures of everyday living we often fall short. Our finances, our wants, our vocation, our vacations, our relationships, our reactions, our daily experiences, our conversations often fall so short of being living and holy sacrifices. But because of all He has done for us, all of our days and hours should be pleasing to Him.

So what do our checkbooks and calendars say about our yielding "all" to him. They are often good indicators.

Mary Dagworthy James (1810-1883) wrote "All For Jesus" as a New Year's resolution. As she wrote her New Year's letter for 1871, she rejoiced in the effectiveness of her work for Jesus the previous year. She wrote that "I have written more, talked more, prayed more, and thought more for Jesus than in any previous year, and have had more peace of mind, resulting from a stronger and more simple faith in Him." She saw how her increased commitment to God gave her a stronger ministry. "All For Jesus" was a personal expression of her devotion to God; that all that she was going do in the coming year would be for His glory.

When James was 13 years old, she began teaching Sunday school in the Methodist Episcopal church. She became a prominent figure in the Wesleyan Holiness movement, assisting Phoebe Palmer, and often leading meetings at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, and elsewhere. She wrote about 50 hymns, and articles by her appeared in the Guide to Holiness, the New York Christian Advocate, The Contributor, The Christian Witness, The Christian Woman, The Christian Standard, and the Ocean Grove Record.

She opens this week's hymn choice hymn by committing herself to serving this unique Christ. Then she commits her hands, feet, eyes and lips to perform his bidding and speak forth His praise. Next she shares that she will not boast of wealth, fame and pleasure but will trust only Jesus. She testifies that since she fixed her eyes on Jesus, the Crucified, she has lost sight of all beside.

I love her concluding testimony, "Oh, what wonder! how amazing! Jesus, glorious King of kings, Deigns to call me His beloved, Lets me rest beneath His wings." That is our reward - a relationship with Christ who, despite our sins, despite our imperfections, redeemed us and calls us "beloved by the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

May this song become our prayer, our practice and our testimony. All for Jesus!

1 All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

All my being's ransomed pow'rs;

All my thoughts and words and doings,

All my days and all my hours.

All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

All my days and all my hours.

All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

All my days and all my hours.

2 Let my hands perform His bidding;

Let my feet run in His ways;

Let mine eyes see Jesus only;