Recycling

I like the hymn, “Take my life and let it be.”  I like the original arrangement, and I like some of the newer arrangements.  But mostly, I like the text.  I like that it asks a lot of us as followers, and gives us an opportunity to recognize how often we don’t offer all of those specific things to God.  But today, it struck me that this idea of us offering ourselves to God isn’t an original thought humanity had on its own.  Jesus said it first.  And, uniquely, Jesus says it to both God and us.  
“Father, not my will, but yours be done.”  
          “This is my body, given for you.”  
                    “I am the bread of life.  
                    Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, 
                    and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”  

One of my favorite (newer) arrangements of this hymn has added a chorus that says, 

“Here am I, all of me.  Take my life, it’s all for thee.”  

In the song, the direction of the dialogue is from me/us to God.  Today, I was reminded yet again that I can only say that to God because Jesus said it first.  Because Jesus was willing to offer his very life to God for the purpose of reconciling humanity to God, I am able to take Jesus’ very life as my own.  And it is out of that life that I live and am able to give anything at all, much less my entire existence.  

Talk about recycling.