Christian
Hymn
Jesus I My Cross Have Taken
Verse
1
Jesus,
I my cross have taken,
All
to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute,
despised, forsaken,
Thou
from hence my all shall be.
Perish
every fond ambition,
All
I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet
how rich is my condition!
God
and heaven are still my own.
Verse
2
Let
the world despise and leave me,
They
have left my Savior, too.
Human
hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou
art not, like them, untrue.
O
while Thou dost smile upon me,
God
of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes
may hate and friends disown me,
Show
Thy face and all is bright.
Verse
3
Man
may trouble and distress me,
’Twill
but drive me to Thy breast.
Life
with trials hard may press me;
Heav’n
will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh,
’tis not in grief to harm me
While
Thy love is left to me;
Oh,
’twere not in joy to charm me,
Were
that joy unmixed with Thee.
Verse
4
Go,
then, earthly fame and treasure,
Come
disaster, scorn and pain
In
Thy service, pain is pleasure,
With
Thy favor, loss is gain
I
have called Thee Abba Father,
I
have stayed my heart on Thee
Storms
may howl, and clouds may gather;
All
must work for good to me.
Verse
5
Soul,
then know thy full salvation
Rise
o’er sin and fear and care
Joy
to find in every station,
Something
still to do or bear.
Think
what Spirit dwells within thee,
Think
what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think
that Jesus died to win thee,
Child
of heaven, canst thou repine.
Verse
6
Haste
thee on from grace to glory,
Armed
by faith, and winged by prayer.
Heaven’s
eternal days before thee,
God’s
own hand shall guide us there.
Soon
shall close thy earthly mission,
Soon
shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope
shall change to glad fruition,
Faith
to sight, and prayer to praise.
Summary
The
hymn is a personal confession of faith and commitment to follow Jesus at all
costs. It expresses the believer’s willingness to suffer loss, rejection, and
hardship for Christ’s sake, with the assurance that God's presence, love, and
heavenly promises outweigh any earthly affliction. It progresses from initial
surrender (verse 1) to confidence in suffering (verses 2–4), then encouragement
to the soul (verse 5), and finally, the hope of eternal glory (verse 6).
Explanation
Verse 1:
>
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
>
All to leave and follow Thee...
The singer declares a total commitment to
Christ, echoing Jesus’ call in Luke 9:23: “Take up your cross daily and follow
me.”
Earthly ambitions and attachments are
willingly laid down.
Though externally poor or rejected, the soul
is spiritually rich—possessing God and heaven as its inheritance.
Verse
2:
>
Let the world despise and leave me,
>
They have left my Savior too...
The
believer finds comfort in Christ’s own rejection—reminding us that being
despised is part of following Him.
Human relationships may fail, but Jesus
remains faithful.
God's favor outweighs the pain of worldly
loss—His “smile” is enough to brighten all circumstances.
Verse
3:
>
Man may trouble and distress me,
>
’Twill but drive me to Thy breast...
Suffering
is not destructive but redemptive—it leads the believer closer to God.
Trials cannot truly harm when Christ’s love is
constant.
Even joy is meaningless unless it’s shared
with Jesus—“Were that joy unmixed with Thee.”
Verse
4:
>
Go, then, earthly fame and treasure...
>
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather;
>
All must work for good to me.
The
hymn boldly renounces fame and wealth in exchange for a life of spiritual
purpose.
Even pain is welcomed if it’s for Christ’s
sake.
With God as Father (“Abba”), the soul is
secure—everything, including storms and trials, will ultimately work for good
(Romans 8:28).
Verse
5:
>
Soul, then know thy full salvation,
>
Rise o’er sin and fear and care...
A
call to the soul to live fully in the knowledge of salvation—rising above sin
and anxiety.
Every situation holds purpose—something to “do
or bear.”
The believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit,
loved by the Father, and redeemed by Jesus.
This verse encourages spiritual contentment:
“Canst thou repine?” (Can you really complain?).
Verse
6:
>
Haste thee on from grace to glory,
>
...Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
A
triumphant conclusion, pointing toward the heavenly goal.
The journey is marked by faith and prayer, but
the destination is glory and eternal joy.
Earthly struggles will end; faith will be
fulfilled, and prayer will turn to unending praise in God’s presence.
"Jesus,
I My Cross Have Taken" is a hymn of courageous devotion. It reminds
believers that though they may be lonely, afflicted, or forsaken in the world,
they are never without Christ. The hymn turns our eyes from worldly
distractions to the eternal promises of God.
