If We Loved Thee As We Ought

Lord, if I loved Thee as I ought,

I could not sleep tonight

Unless I turned some soul today

From darkness unto light.

If I believed with all my heart

That every soul is lost

Apart from faith in Him Who died,

Then would I count the cost?

Would precious hours be spent in ease,

And fruitless days go by,

And timid lips refuse to speak

When they could testify?

How lightly, Lord, we pray for souls,

Pray for revival fire,

And wonder why God does not hear

And grant us our desire.

O, if we loved Thee as we ought

Each person that we see

Would be a soul who’s saved or lost,

An opportunity.

So helpless are Thy children, Lord,

Dependent on Thy grace,

We cannot love Thee as we ought

Until we see Thy face.

Still, Thou wouldst make us fishermen,

Thy call comes, “Follow me.”

O, love of Christ, constrain us

To leave all, and follow Thee!

By Barbara C. Ryberg