January 2026 Connection
“Consecrated, Lord To Thee”
“Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord to Thee.
Take my hands and let them move,
At the impulse of Thy love.”
-United Methodist Hymnal, 399
Consecrated, Lord to Thee.
Take my hands and let them move,
At the impulse of Thy love.”
-United Methodist Hymnal, 399
Shortly after completely giving her life to Christ on December 2, 1873, Frances Havergal, at the age of 36, “found herself spending several days with ten people in a house, some of them unconverted. Others were Christians, but not fully surrendered to Christ. “Lord, give me all in this house,” she prayed. She went to work witnessing, and before she left, all ten were yielded Christians. On the last night of her visit, Frances – to excited to sleep – wrote this great consecration hymn, “Take my Life and Let It Be.”
In the years that followed, Frances frequently used this hymn in her own devotions, especially every December 2nd, on the anniversary of her consecration.
On one occasion, as she pondered the words, “Take my voice and let me sing/ always only for my King,” she felt she should give up her secular concerts. Her beautiful voice was in demand, and she frequently sang with the Philharmonic. But from that moment, her lips were exclusively devoted to the songs of the Lord.”
(Morgan, Robert J. Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003, pg. 191.)
As I read this story, I find myself reflecting on my own commitment to Christ. To be fair, I don’t have a particular date in mind when I committed my life to be a faithful disciple of Christ, but I can certainly tell story after story of moments in my life when my commitment felt renewed and strengthened. Perhaps you can do the same, or maybe you’re not sure you have made that commitment yet. Either way, I want to encourage you to consider this: What does it mean to fully commit ourselves to Christ?
For Havergal, this meant repurposing her gifts and talents, using her singing voice to sing songs of praise and help others do so, as well. Do you have gifts and talents that God might be inviting you to use for the sake of ministry?
For others, being fully committed to Christ means being willing to step outside of our comfort zones in order to serve how God is inviting us to serve. What comfort zones do we currently occupy, and how might they limit us from serving God as we’re called?
Or, perhaps there’s something else standing in your way. Sometimes, committing ourselves to Christ means overcoming an obstacle in our own lives. Rev. Jorge Acevedo, a United Methodist Pastor in Florida, openly shares about Christ’s transformation in his life, freeing him from a life of addiction that kept him from living fully as a disciple of Christ. Interestingly, his ministry has largely involved helping others who suffer from addiction discover a similar freedom. Is there something in your life that needs to change in order for you to fully commit your life to Christ? If so, remember that God doesn’t wait for us to set ourselves free. Instead, God desires to be a part of setting us free.
Finally, others experience this commitment to Christ as a commitment to learning something new! While we may not know what we don’t know, we do trust that God is always at work in teaching us. But are we willing to learn? What is God inviting you to learn?
Whether or not you feel you’ve fully committed yourself to Christ at one point, at multiple points, or over a span of time, perhaps this new year is an opportunity for you to fully consecrate your life to Christ? What is God inviting you to learn or to overcome? What is God inviting you to do, and what talents is God inviting you to repurpose?
This new year, I want to invite you to commit this verse to memory: “Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?” – Isaiah 43:19
Peace,
Pastor Brian
In the years that followed, Frances frequently used this hymn in her own devotions, especially every December 2nd, on the anniversary of her consecration.
On one occasion, as she pondered the words, “Take my voice and let me sing/ always only for my King,” she felt she should give up her secular concerts. Her beautiful voice was in demand, and she frequently sang with the Philharmonic. But from that moment, her lips were exclusively devoted to the songs of the Lord.”
(Morgan, Robert J. Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003, pg. 191.)
As I read this story, I find myself reflecting on my own commitment to Christ. To be fair, I don’t have a particular date in mind when I committed my life to be a faithful disciple of Christ, but I can certainly tell story after story of moments in my life when my commitment felt renewed and strengthened. Perhaps you can do the same, or maybe you’re not sure you have made that commitment yet. Either way, I want to encourage you to consider this: What does it mean to fully commit ourselves to Christ?
For Havergal, this meant repurposing her gifts and talents, using her singing voice to sing songs of praise and help others do so, as well. Do you have gifts and talents that God might be inviting you to use for the sake of ministry?
For others, being fully committed to Christ means being willing to step outside of our comfort zones in order to serve how God is inviting us to serve. What comfort zones do we currently occupy, and how might they limit us from serving God as we’re called?
Or, perhaps there’s something else standing in your way. Sometimes, committing ourselves to Christ means overcoming an obstacle in our own lives. Rev. Jorge Acevedo, a United Methodist Pastor in Florida, openly shares about Christ’s transformation in his life, freeing him from a life of addiction that kept him from living fully as a disciple of Christ. Interestingly, his ministry has largely involved helping others who suffer from addiction discover a similar freedom. Is there something in your life that needs to change in order for you to fully commit your life to Christ? If so, remember that God doesn’t wait for us to set ourselves free. Instead, God desires to be a part of setting us free.
Finally, others experience this commitment to Christ as a commitment to learning something new! While we may not know what we don’t know, we do trust that God is always at work in teaching us. But are we willing to learn? What is God inviting you to learn?
Whether or not you feel you’ve fully committed yourself to Christ at one point, at multiple points, or over a span of time, perhaps this new year is an opportunity for you to fully consecrate your life to Christ? What is God inviting you to learn or to overcome? What is God inviting you to do, and what talents is God inviting you to repurpose?
This new year, I want to invite you to commit this verse to memory: “Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?” – Isaiah 43:19
Peace,
Pastor Brian
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