Have I Done My Best For Jesus Who Died Upon the Cruel Tree
Have I Done My Best For Jesus Who Died Upon the Cruel Tree
Introduction
Do you remember the last time you asked yourself this question with complete honesty? “Have I done my best for Jesus?” Not the question of a proud person, but the question of someone who fears wasting their life. I know you are busy and tired. But let me sit with you for five minutes and ask you something that might change everything.
Have I Done My Best For Jesus′
I wonder have giv’n by best to Jesus
Who died upon the cruel tree?
To think of His great sacrifice at Calvary
I know my Lord expects the best from me.
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Refrain:
How many are the lost that I have lifted?
How many are the chained I’ve helped to free?
I wonder have I done my best for Jesus
When He has done so very much for me?
The hours that I have wasted are so many
The hours I’ve spent for Christ so few
Because of all my lack of love for Jesus
I wonder if His heart is breaking too?
I wonder have I cared enough for others?
Or have I let them die alone?
I might have helped a wandered to the Savior
The seed of precious Life I might have sown
No longer will I stay within the valley
I’ll climb to mountain heights above
The world is dying now for want of someone
To tell them of the Savior’s matchless love
by Edwin Young and Harry E. Storrs (new melody by Robert Evans)
1. Why Do We Fear This Question So Much?
We fear this question because it exposes the gap between what we say and what we actually do. “Have I done my best for Jesus?” is not a question to hurt you, but to free you from pretending that you are giving enough.
When I think of His great sacrifice at Calvary, I feel small, but I also feel challenged to rise higher. I know my Lord expects the best from me, not because He is harsh, but because He knows that giving my best is the only path to real joy.
2. The Refrain That Follows You All Day Long
The refrain asks two painful questions: “How many are the lost that I have lifted? How many are the chained I’ve helped to free?” These are not questions for pastors only, but for every believer who breathes the same air as Jesus.
Every day, you cross paths with lost people who need someone to lift them. Have I done my best for Jesus when He has done so very much for me? Think about what He did on that cruel tree, and let gratitude become your motivation.
3. The Hours I Have Wasted Are So Many
This line cuts deep because it is true for every one of us. The hours I have wasted are so many, and the hours I have spent for Christ are so few. Not because I do not love Him, but because I am distracted by a thousand things that do not matter.
Because of my lack of love for Jesus, I wonder if His heart is breaking, too? He is not a tyrant counting your failures, but a lover watching His beloved drift away. Have I done my best for Jesus, or have I given Him only my leftovers?
4. Have I Cared Enough for Others?
The next verse turns the question outward, away from yourself and toward the people around you. I wonder if I have cared enough for others, or have I let them die alone while I was busy with my own comfortable life?
You might have helped a wanderer to the Savior. The seed of precious life you might have sown. But you did not, because you were distracted or afraid. The good news is that it is not too late to answer “yes” to having done my best for Jesus starting today.
5. No Longer Will I Stay Within the Valley
This is the turning point of the hymn, the moment when “I wonder” becomes “I will.” No longer will I stay within the valley where it is safe and comfortable, but I will climb to mountain heights above where I can see the lost people below.
The world is dying now for want of someone, just one person, who will tell them about the Savior’s matchless love. Have I done my best for Jesus? This question pushes me out of the valley and onto the mountain where the air is thin, but the view is eternal.
6. To Tell Them of the Savior’s Matchless Love
The hymn ends with this beautiful purpose, this reason for climbing the mountain despite the cost. To tell them of the Savior’s matchless love, a love that no one else has ever shown, a love that died on a cruel tree and rose again.
Have I done my best for Jesus? Not “have I done enough?” because you will never do enough to repay Him. But “have I done my best?” That is a question of the heart, and only you can answer it tonight before you close your eyes to sleep.
7. The Cruel Tree Demands an Answer
Before we answer the question, we must look again at what Jesus did for us. Who died upon the cruel tree? Not a martyr, not a prophet, but the Son of God Himself, the Creator of the universe, nailed to wood for your sins and mine.
To think of His great sacrifice at Calvary means to stop rushing and just think about the thorns, the nails, and the spear. He did that for you. Have I done my best for Jesus in return? Not out of guilt, but out of honest gratitude for such amazing love.
8. What Does My Best Actually Look Like?
Your best does not have to be dramatic or public or impressive to anyone but Jesus. For some, their best is waking up early to pray. For others, their best is driving an elderly neighbor to church or sending a text to someone who is struggling.
Have I done my best for Jesus means giving what you have, not what you wish you had. The widow’s two mites were tiny, but Jesus said she gave more than all the rich people because she gave her best. You can do the same starting tomorrow morning.
9. The Wasted Hours Can Be Redeemed
You may feel that you have wasted years, not just hours, and that it is too late to change. That is a lie from the enemy of your soul. The thief on the cross wasted his whole life, but in his last hours, he turned to Jesus and was saved.
Do not waste another hour regretting wasted hours. Give Him the next hour instead. Have I done my best for Jesus? If your answer today is no, tomorrow can be different. His mercies are new every morning, and He is not ashamed of your past failures.
10. Is His Heart Breaking Because of You?
This question haunts me every time I sing this hymn. I wonder if His heart is breaking too, not because I have sinned, but because I have loved Him so little compared to how much He has loved me. A heart can break from neglect, not just from attack.
If you were married to someone who never spoke to you, would your heart break? Have I done my best for Jesus, or have I been distant and distracted? His heart does not break because you are not perfect. It breaks because He misses you, and He wants you near.
11. The World Is Dying, But You Are Alive
The hymn says the world is dying now for want of someone, not for want of a program or a building. For want of someone, just one ordinary person like you, who will open their mouth and speak the name of Jesus to a neighbor, a coworker, or a friend.
Have I done my best for Jesus means realizing that you are that someone. Not someone else. You. God placed you where you are for a reason. Your coworker trusts you. Your cousin opens up to you. Do not let them die alone without hearing about the Savior’s love.
12. Have I Done My Best For Jesus? Your Turn to Answer
After all these words, after all these questions, the hymn leaves the answer in your hands. Only you know if you have done your best. Only you know the secret hours, the hidden compromises, and the quiet excuses that no one else sees.
But here is the beautiful truth: even if your answer today is no, tomorrow can be different. The cruel tree is empty. The tomb is empty. He is alive, and He is not ashamed of you. Have I done my best for Jesus? By His grace, starting now, you can say yes.
Have I Done My Best For Jesus
Recommendations
- Tonight, before sleep, ask yourself the question honestly, and write down one area where you can give more of your best tomorrow.
- Identify one person in your life who is wandering from God, and commit to praying for them every day this week.
- Take ten minutes tomorrow morning to think about what Jesus did on the cruel tree, and let gratitude fuel your best.
- Stop comparing your best to others, and focus on giving what you have, not on what you wish you had.
- When you feel the valley calling you back to comfort, remind yourself that the world is dying for want of someone, and that someone is you.
Conclusion
This hymn, “Have I Done My Best For Jesus,” is not a tool to crush you with guilt. It is a mirror to wake you up from the sleep of ordinary living. Who died upon the cruel tree? Your Savior, your Friend, your King who gave His very best for you.
He did not give His best halfway. He gave all of Himself completely, without holding back anything. And now He looks at you with love and asks one question. Have I done my best for Jesus? Not to shame you, but to invite you into a life of purpose, joy, and eternal impact.
The world is dying, but you are alive. The hours you have wasted cannot be returned, but the hours in front of you can be given. By His grace, starting now, you can answer yes. Have I done my best for Jesus? Starting tomorrow morning, yes. Amen.
More Hymns
- Jesus keep Me Near the Cross
- Sweet Hour of Prayer
- Tell it to Jesus He is a Friend
- Throw Out the Life Line
- Trust and Obey
- Break Every Chain
- Fairuz – Give Me The Flute and Sing
Fairuz – You’re Still on My Mind
