I Gave My Life for Thee - Hymn With Lyrics

1. I gave My life for thee,
My precious blood I shed,
That thou mightst ransomed be,
And quickened from the dead;
I gave, I gave My life for thee,
What hast thou done for Me?
I gave, I gave My life for thee,
What hast thou done for Me?

2. My Father's house of light,
My glory-circled throne
I left for earthly night,
For wanderings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee,
Hast thou left aught for Me?
I left, I left it all for thee,
Hast thou left aught for Me?

3. I suffered much for thee,
More than thy tongue can tell,
Of bitterest agony,
To rescue thee from hell;
I've borne, I've borne it all for thee,
What hast thou borne for Me?
I've borne, I've borne it all for thee,
What hast thou borne for Me?

4 And I have brought to thee,
Down from My home above,
Salvation full and free,
My pardon and My love;
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee,
What hast thou brought to Me?
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee,

What hast thou brought to Me?

Scripture; Psalm 147:3; 

Matthew 20:25-28; 

Mark 10:45; 

John 10:11-18

The hymn "I Gave My Life for Thee" was written by Frances Ridley Havergal in 1858 when she was just 22 years old. While studying in Germany, she saw a painting of Christ crucified with the caption, “I did this for thee; what hast thou done for Me?” Deeply moved by the message, she returned to her room and, inspired by the thought of Christ’s sacrifice, wrote the hymn from His perspective. Initially, she felt the poem was unworthy and threw it into the fire, but the paper miraculously fell out untouched—a moment she later saw as divine preservation. The hymn, later set to music by American composer Philip P. Bliss, reflects Christ’s self-giving love and calls the listener to respond with personal devotion. Each verse recounts what Jesus gave and ends with the searching question: “What hast thou done for Me?” The hymn became one of Havergal’s most enduring works and captures her lifelong theme of wholehearted consecration to Christ.