Robey’s Ruminations:
On Faithfulness

Rev. Bill Robey          360-943-8025           bncrobey@comcast.net

One of my favorite praise songs, one that speaks most plaintively to my heart, especially during Lent, is entitled “Take My Life”. It is hymn number 114 in the Chalice Praise songbook. The second verse of the song followed by the refrain goes like this:

“Faithfulness, faithfulness
is what I long for.
Faithfulness is what I need.
Faithfulness, faithfulness
is what You want from me.
Take my heart and form it,
Take my mind, transform it,
Take my will, conform it
To Yours, to Yours, O Lord.”

Every time I sing this second verse I am reminded of how difficult it is to be faithful to God and faithful to the commitments we make to one another. Yet, faithfulness is one of the main ingredients that can help us cope with the really difficult situations in life .. . not to mention being a major component of Christian discipline. Indeed, it is discipline, fueled by faithfulness, that enables us to meet the day-to-day challenges of being a committed Christian and to deal with the inevitable changes that occur in life.

The refrain is a reminder that we must be willing to open our hearts to allow God, through Christ, to bring compassion and love into the very core of our being. When we do, then our minds can be transformed for, indeed, we will view the world from a whole different perspective. It is then that our will becomes conformed to the will of God. And it all begins with faithfulness!

“Faithfulness, faithfulness is what I long for. Faithfulness is what I need. Faithfulness, faithfulness is what You (God) want from me.”

Perhaps we will sing this hymn sometime in worship during this Lenten season. I hope it will be as meaningful to you as it is to me.

See you in worship . . .

Bill