Teach Me, My God And King
Teach Me, My God and King
Teach me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for Thee.
A man that looks on glass,
On it may stay his eye,
Or, if he pleaseth, through it pass,
And then the heav’n espy.
All may of Thee partake:
Nothing can be so mean
Which with this motive, “For Thy sake,”
Will not grow bright and clean.
This is the famous stone
That turneth all to gold;
For that which God doth touch and own
Cannot for less be told.
GEORGE HERBERT was a brilliant and privileged young man who gave his all for God’s glory. From a noted Welsh family, he went to Cambridge University at age fifteen and specialized in rhetoric and oratory. Herbert became a country priest and wrote about his experiences. He also wrote poetry, focusing on the Christian’s heart as a temple of God.
Shortly before his death he sent a manuscript of his poems to a fellow churchman. He asked him to publish the poems if he thought anybody could benefit. But if not, he told him to burn them. He concluded, “I and [the poems] are the least of God’s mercies.”
The last stanza here alludes to the medieval belief in a “philosopher’s stone” that would touch a baser metal and turn it to gold. Herbert says that doing things for God’s sake is that stone, because God takes what is offered to Him and makes it precious. That was the story of George Herbert’s life.
Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.
1 Corinthians 10:31-33
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