Will you take just a moment to consider something? I’m not asking you to consider whether something like this could “hypothetically” happen to “someone else.” I’m asking you to consider if this could happen (or even, if this has happened) to you.
One of the most moving songs that we sing (lyrically speaking) was written in 1874 by Theodore Monod, entitled “None of Self and All of Thee.” It is one of those songs that you cannot skip any verses. The four verses move in a logical progression. First, I want you to consider the movement of this song.
The first verse: “O the bitter pain and sorrow That a time could ever be, When I proudly said to Jesus, ‘All of self, and none of Thee.’” Of course, this is from the perspective of a faithful Christian looking back at the time when he said to Jesus, “All of self, and none of Thee.” Presently, it is viewed as a time of “bitter pain and sorrow.” But, of course, when living in that condition, it was viewed as freedom and self-indulging. But change came.
The second verse: “Yet He found me; I beheld Him Bleeding on th’accursed tree, And my wistful heart said faintly, ‘Some of self, and some of Thee.’” The word “Yet” notes a change to the “All of self” life. What was it? Learning of Jesus bleeding on the old rugged cross. The good news of Jesus will prick the heart, if we let it. This is the first step of progress here, in the right direction. Will it continue?
The third verse: “Day by day His tender mercy Healing, helping, full and free, Bro’t me lower while I whispered, ‘Less of self, and more of Thee.’” Do you see the progression? A “day by day” growth in the abundant “mercy” of God fills us more with Him and empties us of self.
The fourth verse: “Higher than the highest heavens, Deeper than the deepest sea, Lord, Thy love at last has conquered, ‘None of self, and all of Thee.’” Do you see the excitement in this verse? The love of the Lord is exciting, moving and life-changing—it will lead us to gladly give Him our all.
It is such a tremendous song, even 150 years later. It shows how we ought to grow more and more out of self-indulgence and into Christ-enthrallment. But, here’s the question for today: Is it possible that I could end up going in reverse? If I can go forward, can I go backward? Could I go from “None of self” to “Less of self” to “Some of self” to “All of self”? Could I go from “All of Thee” to “More of Thee” to “Some of Thee” to “None of Thee”? To ask the question is to answer the question.
So, let me ask you—which verse are you on? How full of “self” are you and how full of “Christ” are you? And, what are you doing to go forward and avoid slipping into reverse?
