Bible Verses About Stewardship

What does the Bible say about stewardship?

A common question that Christians have is: “How much should I give to the church?”. 

It is this author’s view that this is the wrong place to begin when we seek to understand what the Bible says about stewardship.  A better question to begin with is: “Can I trust God’s providence?”

Christian quotes about stewardship

“Do you not know that God entrusted you with that money (all above what buys necessities for your families) to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to help the stranger, the widow, the fatherless; and, indeed, as far as it will go, to relieve the wants of all mankind? How can you, how dare you, defraud the Lord, by applying it to any other purpose?” John Wesley

“The world asks, “What does a man own?” Christ asks, “How does he use it?” Andrew Murray

“The fear of the Lord helps us recognize our accountability to God for the stewardship of leadership. It motivates us to seek the Lord’s wisdom and understanding in difficult situations. And it challenges us to give our all to the Lord by serving those we lead with love and humility.” Paul Chappell

“Sins such as envy, jealousy, covetousness, and greed very markedly reveal a focus on self. Instead you are to please God and bless others by practicing biblical stewardship which is to care for and give of the physical and spiritual resources that God has provided for you.” John Broger

“All Christians are but God’s stewards. Everything we have is on loan from the Lord, entrusted to us for awhile to us for a while to use in serving him.” John Macarthur

What is biblical stewardship?

The concept of stewardship begins at the creation of all things. We read in Genesis 1, right after God created the man and the woman, He gave them this charge:

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:27 ESV

The key word here is dominion. The Hebrew in this context literally means to rule. It carries an idea of bringing something chaotic under control. It also carries the idea of managing. In Genesis 2:15, we see this dominion being fleshed out when God placed the man into the garden He created in order that the man would work in it and keep it. 

It is clear from these passages that part of the reason why God created humanity was that humans were to manage, or steward, the things that were given to them. Nothing that the Garden contained was of the man’s own doing. It was all given to the man to be under his rule, under his management. He was to work, or labor in it, and was to oversee, or keep, it.

After the fall is when we first see this management, or stewarding, of God’s creation tied to the worship of God. In Genesis chapter 4 we see the sons of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, bringing a sacrifice from the work of their hands. Cain’s was from his crop, the “fruit of the ground” and Abel’s was from the “firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions”. 

In this chapter we gain insight into exactly what the Lord is desiring for us in our stewardship and our worship, the primary lesson being that worship would first and foremost be an act of trust on our part as we give the very best and the first of all we have to the Lord.  And secondly, that our hearts would be aligned in thanksgiving and acknowledgement that all we have has been provided by the Lord for us to manage well.

1. 1 Corinthians 9.17 (ESV) “For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.”

2. 1 Timothy 1:11 “that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.”

3. Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

4. Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

5. Genesis 1:28 (NASB) “God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

6. Genesis 2:15 (NLT) “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.”

7. Proverbs 16:3 (KJV) “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” – (What does the Bible say about God in control?

8. Titus 1:7 (NKJV) “For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money.”

9. 1 Corinthians 4:2 “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”

10. Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.”

The importance of stewardship?

The reason why biblical stewardship is so important for the Christian is because what we believe about it and how we do it reveals much about where our hearts are at with God. 

As we saw from Genesis 4, what God was most concerned for with regard to Cain and Abel’s sacrifice was their heart condition behind. He was more favorable toward Abel’s sacrifice because it demonstrated to God that Abel trusted Him enough that he was able to sacrifice the very best of what we had and that God would provide for His needs. The sacrifice also demonstrated the level of Abel’s acknowledgement and thankful heart, that what he had was only given to him to invest and manage, that he was not the owner of the flocks, but they were God’s in the first place and that Abel was simply called on to manage what was God’s already. 

11. Ephesians 4:15-16 “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

12. Romans 14:12 (ESV) “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

13. Luke 12:42-44 “The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”

14. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

15. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

16. Matthew 24:42-44 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

17. Proverbs 27:18 “He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who cares for his master will be honored.”

Everything belongs to God

Which brings us back to this idea that everything in all of creation is for God. There is nothing in this universe which God did not create first ex nihilo, thus everything belongs to God. 

Biblically, we find support for this truth in the following passages: 

18. Exodus 19:5  “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine.”

19. Job 41:11 “Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.”

20. Haggai 2:8 “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.”

21. Psalm 50:10 “for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.”

22. Psalm 50:12 “If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.”

23. Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

24. 1 Corinthians 10:26 “for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”

25. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.”

26. Deuteronomy 10:14 “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.”

27. Hebrews 2:10 “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings.”

28. Colossians 1:16 “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” – (Does a God exist?)

29. 1 Chronicles 29:14 “Who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.”

30. Psalm 89:11 “The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all it contains, You have founded them.”

31. Job 41:11 “Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.”

32. Psalm 74:16 “The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.”

Stewardship as worship 

Since Cain and Abel, the stewardship of our resources has been closely tied to our giving to God in worship. 

Abraham demonstrated an act of worship when he gave a tithe of what he had to the priest Melchizedek.  We read about this in Genesis 14:18-20:

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High — 19 and he blessed Abram and said:

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

Creator of heaven and earth,

20and blessed be God Most High,

who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

Abraham saw a good thing in giving Melchizedek a tithe, as Melchizedek had acted as a vessel of speaking God’s blessing over Abraham. By tithing to God’s servant, Abraham was giving to God and God’s work through this man.

We see the congregation of Israel responding similarly, both encouraged by the law, and encouraged in their own hearts, to give toward the priesthood, the work of God and to the temple. 

We see it in Exodus with the building of the tabernacle, where all of Israel contributed to the project.  And we see it again in 1 Chronicles 29, when King David gave nearly $20 billion (in today’s dollars) toward the building of the first temple, and inspired a whole nation to give out of the generosity of their hearts to the build. 

Jesus called attention to stewarding our resources as a way to worship God in Mark 12:41-44:

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

In other words, the widow’s worship of God was greater because her trust in Him was greater than those who put in large sums. They were still very comfortable in their own wealth, but for the widow it was a sacrifice to give to the work of God out of the little she had. 

33. Psalm 47:6 “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.”

34. Genesis 14:18-20 “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

35. Mark 12:41-44 “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

36. John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

37. Isaiah 12:5 (ESV) “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.”

38. Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Stewardship of the earth

We learned from Genesis earlier that one of the primary purposes of humanity is to manage, or steward, that which is God’s. This includes His creation of the earth and everything in it.  

It is clear in scripture that this means the land, the plant life and also the animals. We read again in Psalm 50:10:

For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.

Regarding the land, God put it into the Levitical law that the Israelites were to let their farmland rest every 7 years in order to rejuvenate the ground (ref. Exodus 23:7, Lev 25:3-4).  Likewise, the year of Jubilee, which was to happen every 50 years, Israel was to refrain from farming the land and eat only that which grows naturally on its own. Unfortunately, in their disobedience, Israel never celebrated a Jubilee as it was described to be celebrated in the law. 

Regarding animals, God also cared how humanity would steward them:

You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again. Deuteronomy 22:4

Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. Proverbs 12:10 

It is important to God how we care for His whole creation, not just the things that we “own”. I believe that this principle can apply to how we manage our impact upon the earth with regard to contributing to pollution and waste. In our stewarding of the earth, Christians should be leading the way with regard to not littering, practicing recycling and seeking ways to minimize the negative impact of our carbon footprint and other polluting substances upon creation. By stewarding the earth well, we seek to worship the Lord through our care of His creation. 

39. Genesis 1:1 (ESV) “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

40. Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

41. Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

42. Revelation 14:7 “And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

43. Deuteronomy 22:3-4 “Do the same if you find their donkey or cloak or anything else they have lost. Do not ignore it. 4 If you see your fellow Israelite’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help the owner get it to its feet.”

Good stewardship of money

The Bible is full of wisdom and instruction with regard to the wealth we have been given.  In fact, there are more than 2000 verses in the Bible that touch on the topic of wealth. A proper view of wealth begins with this passage from Deut. 8:18:

“You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

The Bible provides wisdom for us with regard to our wealth because how we steward it demonstrates our trust in the Lord.  Some principals we gain from Scripture regarding the good stewardship of wealth include:

Not going into debt: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.” Proverbs 22:7

Practicing Good Investment: “​​The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5

Ensuring Your Family is cared for:  “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  1 Timothy 5:8

Saving well for Times of Emergency or Blessing: “Go to the ant, you sluggard;  consider its ways and be wise!  It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8 (See also the story of Joseph in Egypt from Genesis chapters 41-45)

Not Being a Hoarder:  “A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.” Proverbs 28:22

Being wary of quick cash (or gambling): “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” Proverbs 13:11

Seeking enough to be content: “Two things I ask of you;  deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:7-9

Not falling in love with money: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy 6:10

44. 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

45. Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

45. Deuteronomy 8:18 “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

46. Proverbs 21:20 “The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.”

47. Luke 12:15 “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

48. Deuteronomy 16:17 “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.”

49. Proverbs 13:22 “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.”

50. Luke 14:28-30 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.”

The stewardship of time

Just as we are called to steward well the wealth we are given, so too time is another gift of the Father on this side of eternity. We are called to steward the time we have and to make use of our moments and days for good and for His glory. 

51. Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

52. Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.”

53. Ephesians 5:15 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

Stewardship of talents

Like wealth and time, God has given man the ability to work in various skilled labors and jobs. With the varying abilities and talents, we are called to manage these for the glory of God. 

We see this in the Old Testament, especially with regard to the building of the tabernacle and the temple:  

“Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded” Exodus 35:10

We find Paul quoting Ecclesiastes 9:10 when he says in Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

For the Christian, the Holy Spirit also gives abilities and spiritual gifts that the Christian should steward for the sake of building up the body of Christ, the church.

54. 1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

55. Romans 12:6-8 “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

56. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”

57. Ephesians 4:11-13 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

58. Exodus 35:10 “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded”

Examples of stewardship in the Bible

59. Matthew 25:14-30 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

60. 1 Timothy 6:17-21 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.”

Conclusion

One of the most famous teachings of stewardship in the Bible is found in Jesus’ Parable of the Talents where we find both encouragement and a warning:

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

There is no doubt left from the teaching of this parable that how we steward is very, very important to God. He desires His people to manage well what they have been given, whether that be wealth, time or talents. To invest them and to not be lazy or wicked with what we have been given. 

During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the crowd the following: 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Truly, when it comes to storing up wealth and the management of it, ultimately, our aim should be that all of it would be managed for eternal purposes. The building up of relationships, the use of our property for outreach and ministry, the giving of our wealth toward missions work and giving toward the Gospel message going forward in our communities. These investments will not fade away. These investments will gain much interest in the multiplication of disciples for the Kingdom. 

I would like to end this article with the lyrics from the hymn Take My Life and Let It Be by Frances Havergal as it sums up well the Biblical view of stewardship in poem form:

Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

*Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise.

Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing,

Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine,

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.