None of Self and All of Thee

Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow
That a time could ever be,
When I proudly said to Jesus,
All of self, and none of Thee.
All of self, and none of Thee,
All of self, and none of Thee,
When I proudly said to Jesus,
All of self, and none of Thee.

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.
Some of self, and some of Thee,
Some of self, and some of Thee,
And my wistful heart said faintly,
Some of self, and some of Thee.

Day by day His tender mercy,
Healing, helping, full and free,
Brought me lower while I whispered,
Less of self, and more of Thee.
Less of self, and more of Thee,
Less of self, and more or Thee,
Brought me lower while I whispered,
Less of self, and more of Thee.

Higher than the highest heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:
None of self, and all of Thee.
None of self, and all of Thee,
None of self, and all of Thee,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:
None of self, and all of Thee.

I found this particular hymn recently in an old hymn book my mom purchased for me.  It is from a church in Lawton, Oklahoma and appears to be about 70-80 years old.  It is one of those hymns that I did not know, but the title was so unusual that I had to read the lyrics.  Once I read the lyrics, I knew it was one I needed to include as a “Hymn of the week.”  The hymn provides an honest assessment of various stages in our Christian walk, and an assessment of how much of God we really want during those times in our lives.

I get the sense that the author’s tone changes through the four verses of this hymn.  In the first verse, I hear a sinner arrogantly exclaiming “All of Self and None of Thee!!!”  In the second verse, I hear a new Christian with a questioning tone asking “Some of self, and some of Thee?”  In the third verse, I hear a maturing believer humbly praying for “less of self and more of Thee.”  Finally, in the last verse, I hear a humbled Christian in submission to God admitting that it is not about him anymore.  He proclaims “None of self, and all of Thee!!!”  I hope this hymn challenges you to ask yourself where you are in these stages of self-denial and submission to the Lord’s will.

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “Yet He found me, I beheld Him” –  The first word of the second verse contains a simple, but important word – the word “yet.”  The first verse is the picture of a proud sinner exclaiming to Jesus that he doesn’t want or need God.  However, the second verse transitions with “Yet.”  I just love that transition.  In Romans 5:8, the Bible says “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  While we were arrogant.  While we were blasphemers.  While we were unlovable, Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice and died for our sins.

• “day by day His tender mercy” – I like the fact that part of this progression of being more like Him, is that He doesn’t leave us alone.  He doesn’t say, “I will check back with you in a few months or few years to see how you are doing.”  No, daily He shows us His tender mercy.  He is longing to find someone He can show compassion to.  I like what David said after his friend Jonathan had died.  In 2 Samuel 9:1, David states “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”  I believe this is an example of why David was a man after God’s heart.  God is asking – Is there anyone left whom I can show kindness to for my Son’s sake?

• “Brought me lower” – When I thought about this phrase, I was reminded of the times in Scripture where God says that He will humble the proud and the arrogant.  I was reminded that “pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  The one curious thing to me about this phrasing is the word “brought.”  The author doesn’t say that God forced him lower with power and strength.  It doesn’t say God beat him down with the rod of correction and discipline.  No, it says that God brought him lower.  I think God does this gently, compassionately, and with loving kindness.  I think He “brings” us lower, so that He might be exalted.

Are you progressive?  In the political age we live in, the word “progressive” has some negative connotations, especially if you consider yourself conservative.  However, progressive can mean “making progress toward better conditions,” or “continuous improvement,” or even “enlightened.”  The theme of this hymn, in my opinion, is progressive.  As Christians, we should be going through these progressions in our lives.  From “all of self, and none of God” through the various “some,” “less,” and “more” stages, to a point where we can say, none of self and all of God.  This progression, however, does not come automatically.  It does not come in a singular event.  It is not a magic bullet, or a special pill.  It requires what Jesus talked about in Matthew 16:24.  Jesus told us that “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”  We have to do this daily with the Lord’s help, but we can do it.  Not “some” of it.  Not “less” of it.  Not “more” of it.  But all of it.