“For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” – 2 Corinthians 5:13-15
After his conversion, Thomas Chisholm gave up his newspaper career and trained for the ministry. But not long after he became a pastor, ill health forced him to leave the pulpit. Rather than giving up the idea of serving God, Chisholm put his literary skills to work and began to write poems, many of which became well-known hymns. One of the best known is Living for Jesus.
Living for Jesus a life that is true,
Striving to please him in all that I do,
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to thee,
for thou, in thy atonement, didst give thyself for me;
I own no other master, my heart shall be thy throne,
my life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for thee alone.
One of the most extraordinary traits of Jesus was His sacrificial love for others. He deserves all glory and praise and worship and service, but rather than insisting on His rights, He devoted Himself to meeting the needs of others. “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). If we are going to truly live for Jesus, we must live like Him. And to live like Jesus, we must acknowledge His right to rule and reign over every part of our lives, including being willing to put our own interests and desires after those of others. Our lives are neither for us or about us, but about what God has called us to do for Him. (Daily in the Word)
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
