HYMN STORIES

“Take Time to Be Holy” – When Religious Activity Replaces Reverence for God

Church School Saturday | November 7, 2026

Scripture Connection: 1 Samuel 4:12-22
Lesson: Leadership Run Amok!
Theme: When Religious Activity Replaces Reverence for God

Hymn: Take Time to Be Holy
Hymnal: AME Zion Bicentennial Hymnal, #467
Lyricist: William Dunn Longstaff
Composer: George C. Stebbins
Tune: HOLINESS
Written: Circa 1882
Musical Title: Take Time to Be Holy

THE STORY BEHIND THE HYMN

Sometimes the greatest danger to our spiritual lives is not the absence of religious activity.

It is the assumption that religious activity automatically reflects a right relationship with God.

We may participate in worship, fulfill ministry responsibilities, hold positions of leadership, and faithfully observe religious traditions while neglecting the personal devotion and obedience that should give those activities meaning.

Such is the enduring message behind “Take Time to Be Holy,” a hymn that reminds believers that holiness requires more than religious identification. It requires intentional fellowship with God and a life increasingly shaped by His character.

William Dunn Longstaff was a British Christian layman whose life reflected a commitment to evangelical ministry, generosity, and Christian service.

Born into a financially established family, Longstaff possessed resources that enabled him to support religious and charitable causes. His father was a successful shipowner, and Longstaff used his financial independence to contribute to ministries extending well beyond his immediate congregation.

He served as treasurer of Bethesda Free Chapel in Sunderland, England, a congregation associated with his friend, the Welsh preacher Arthur A. Rees.

Longstaff also developed relationships with several influential Christian leaders, including William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army.

His commitment to supporting evangelical ministry became especially significant in 1873, when American evangelist Dwight L. Moody and his musical associate Ira D. Sankey arrived in England for a series of evangelistic meetings.

When the death of a financial sponsor threatened their work, Longstaff helped establish the financial support necessary for the meetings to continue.

His generosity contributed to the expansion of Moody’s evangelistic ministry in England and Scotland.

Yet Longstaff’s most enduring contribution would not be a financial gift or an organizational achievement.

It would be a hymn calling believers to cultivate the spiritual life that must accompany Christian service.

According to hymnological accounts, Longstaff was inspired by a message associated with Griffith John, a missionary to China, during a gathering in Keswick, England, in the early 1880s.

The message emphasized the command recorded in 1 Peter 1:16:

“Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (KJV)

Those words, drawn from God’s instruction concerning holiness, became the foundation for Longstaff’s hymn.

The message was both simple and demanding.

Holiness was not merely a religious designation or an outward appearance.

It was a call to live in a manner consistent with belonging to God.

Longstaff’s hymn expressed that calling through practical instructions concerning prayer, fellowship with Christ, spiritual discipline, and Christian conduct.

The hymn text eventually reached Ira D. Sankey, who shared it with American composer George C. Stebbins.

Stebbins initially set the words aside.

Later, while participating in evangelistic meetings in India where the subject of holiness was being emphasized, he remembered Longstaff’s text and composed the melody known as HOLINESS.

The completed hymn appeared in Sankey’s New Songs and Sacred Solos in 1888.

Together, Longstaff’s words and Stebbins’s music created a hymn that has encouraged generations of Christians to examine the relationship between their spiritual devotion and their daily conduct.

The hymn’s second verse is especially meaningful.

It urges believers to resist the hurried pace of the world, spend intentional time alone with Christ, and allow His likeness to become visible in their relationships with others.

That emphasis reveals something important about Longstaff’s understanding of holiness.

Holiness was not presented as an occasional religious experience.

It was a continuing process of spiritual formation.

The believer must intentionally cultivate fellowship with Christ so that His character increasingly influences personal behavior.

And that message brings us directly to this week’s Church School lesson.

THE SCRIPTURE CONNECTION

1 Samuel 4:12–22 – When Sacred Symbols Replace Faithful Obedience

In our Church School Saturday lesson, “Leadership Run Amok!”, we encounter one of the most devastating moments in Israel’s history.

The Israelites have suffered a terrible military defeat at the hands of the Philistines.

Thousands have died.

Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, have been killed.

And the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred object associated with God’s covenant presence among His people, has been captured.

The news reaches Eli through a messenger who has escaped from the battlefield.

Eli is ninety-eight years old, and his eyesight has failed.

He is sitting near the gate, anxiously awaiting news because his heart trembles for the Ark of God.

When the messenger reports Israel’s defeat, the deaths of Eli’s sons, and the capture of the Ark, Eli falls backward from his seat, breaks his neck, and dies.

The tragedy extends into the next generation.

Phinehas’s wife, who is pregnant, hears the devastating news concerning her husband, her father-in-law, and the Ark.

She goes into labor and dies after giving birth to a son.

Before her death, she names the child Ichabod, declaring that the glory has departed from Israel.

The account is filled with grief, loss, and the consequences of spiritual failure.

But to understand the significance of these events, we must consider what happened before the messenger arrived.

Earlier in the chapter, after suffering an initial defeat, Israel’s elders decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh into the military camp.

They believed that bringing the Ark into battle would secure victory over the Philistines.

The Ark was indeed sacred.

It represented God’s covenant relationship with Israel and occupied a central place in the nation’s worship.

But the Israelites treated its presence as though possession of a sacred object could guarantee God’s intervention.

They attempted to secure divine protection without first addressing the spiritual condition of the people and their leadership.

This distinction is essential.

The Ark represented God’s covenant presence, but possessing the Ark did not give Israel control over God’s power.

God’s holiness could not be manipulated through religious objects, ceremonies, or assumptions.

The failure was especially troubling because Hophni and Phinehas, who accompanied the Ark, had already demonstrated contempt for their sacred responsibilities.

Their conduct, described earlier in 1 Samuel, reflected corruption and disregard for the Lord’s instructions.

They held priestly positions, but their behavior contradicted the holiness those positions were intended to represent.

Their religious authority did not excuse their disobedience.

Their proximity to sacred things did not guarantee divine approval.

And their participation in worship did not substitute for righteous conduct.

This is where “Take Time to Be Holy” becomes especially meaningful.

Longstaff’s hymn reminds us that a genuine relationship with God requires personal devotion, spiritual attentiveness, and conduct that reflects His character.

Israel’s tragedy demonstrates what can happen when outward religious confidence becomes disconnected from obedience.

The Israelites focused on bringing the Ark into their circumstances rather than examining whether their circumstances and decisions honored the God whom the Ark represented.

The lesson challenges us to consider whether we sometimes make similar assumptions.

We may rely upon church membership, leadership titles, ministry accomplishments, familiar traditions, or religious experiences as evidence that our lives are aligned with God’s will.

Yet none of these can replace faithful obedience.

The question is not simply whether we are involved in religious activity.

It is whether our religious activity flows from a life that honors God.

THE TEACHING CONNECTION

Holiness Requires More Than Religious Identification

The message of “Take Time to Be Holy” and Israel’s experience in 1 Samuel 4 reveal three important truths about spiritual leadership, personal devotion, and faithful obedience.

1. Holiness Requires Intentional Fellowship With God.

Longstaff’s hymn emphasizes the importance of setting aside time for personal communion with Christ.

Its message recognizes that the demands of everyday life can easily consume our attention.

Responsibilities accumulate.

Schedules become crowded.

Decisions require immediate responses.

And even our involvement in ministry can become so demanding that we neglect the spiritual disciplines necessary to sustain our relationship with God.

Israel’s experience reminds us that religious involvement does not automatically produce spiritual discernment.

The elders recognized that something had gone wrong after their initial military defeat.

But rather than seeking God’s direction, they devised a strategy centered upon bringing the Ark into battle.

Their response reflected confidence in a religious symbol rather than humble dependence upon God’s guidance.

In our own lives, we may encounter similar temptations.

We may assume that because we are involved in worthwhile activities, our decisions must automatically reflect God’s will.

We may become so accustomed to familiar ministry routines that we stop prayerfully examining our motives, methods, and priorities.

We may even confuse the urgency of completing religious responsibilities with the importance of maintaining personal fellowship with God.

Longstaff’s hymn challenges that assumption.

Spiritual maturity requires intentional attention to prayer, Scripture, reflection, and obedience.

These practices do not earn God’s favor or place His power under our control.

They help cultivate the attentiveness, humility, and understanding necessary for faithful Christian living.

Before we can effectively represent God’s character through our actions, we must continually seek to know Him more deeply.

2. Sacred Responsibilities Require Reverence and Integrity.

Hophni and Phinehas occupied positions of religious authority.

As priests, they were entrusted with responsibilities connected to Israel’s worship and relationship with God.

Their positions carried influence, visibility, and sacred obligations.

Yet their earlier conduct demonstrated that holding religious office does not necessarily mean exercising godly leadership.

They abused their responsibilities and dishonored the worship entrusted to their care.

Their failure reveals an important distinction between possessing religious authority and exercising that authority faithfully.

Leadership within God’s community is not simply a matter of position.

It is a matter of stewardship.

Those entrusted with spiritual responsibilities must recognize that their conduct influences others and reflects upon the ministry they represent.

The message of “Take Time to Be Holy” reinforces this responsibility.

Longstaff’s hymn emphasizes that time spent with Christ should produce visible changes in personal conduct.

The believer’s relationship with God should influence attitudes, relationships, decisions, and responses to others.

This principle applies not only to ordained clergy or designated ministry leaders.

It applies to teachers, ministry volunteers, parents, mentors, organizational leaders, and every believer whose actions influence another person.

We cannot separate our public expressions of faith from our private patterns of conduct.

We cannot expect religious titles to compensate for dishonesty, selfishness, neglect, or abuse of responsibility.

Nor can we assume that participation in sacred activities excuses behavior that contradicts God’s Word.

Faithful leadership requires humility, accountability, reverence, and integrity.

The question is not merely whether we have been entrusted with responsibility.

It is whether we are honoring God through the manner in which we fulfill it.

3. Genuine Holiness Must Become Visible Through Obedience.

One of the most significant messages in Longstaff’s hymn is that personal fellowship with Christ should influence how believers live among others.

Holiness is not confined to private prayer or public worship.

It must shape everyday conduct.

Israel’s leaders appeared to believe that bringing the Ark into battle would secure victory.

But their confidence in the sacred object did not address the deeper problem of disobedience.

They wanted the benefits associated with God’s presence without demonstrating the reverence and faithfulness that should characterize His covenant people.

Their experience challenges us to examine the relationship between our religious expectations and our personal obedience.

Do we seek God’s direction before making important decisions?

Do we allow Scripture to challenge our assumptions?

Are we willing to acknowledge mistakes, accept correction, and change our behavior when necessary?

Or do we sometimes expect God to endorse decisions simply because we have attached His name to them?

The hymn reminds us that holiness requires more than declaring our devotion.

It requires allowing our devotion to shape our decisions.

Within our homes, holiness becomes visible through patience, honesty, forgiveness, and love.

Within our congregations, it becomes visible through responsible leadership, faithful service, accountability, and genuine concern for others.

Throughout our communities, it becomes visible through compassion, justice, integrity, and respect for human dignity.

These actions do not make us holy through our own accomplishments.

Rather, they reflect the transforming work of God in lives that are continually being surrendered to Him.

Holiness is not demonstrated by how closely we stand to sacred things, but by how faithfully we respond to the holy God we serve.

The hymn challenges us to move beyond the appearance of devotion and pursue the daily practice of faithful Christian living.

A MOMENT OF REFLECTION

Consider these questions as you reflect on the hymn and its connection to our lesson:

• Am I intentionally cultivating my relationship with God through prayer, Scripture, and personal reflection, or have religious responsibilities and everyday demands weakened my spiritual attentiveness?
• Are there areas of my life where I have relied upon my position, experience, religious traditions, or past accomplishments rather than humbly seeking God’s present direction?
• When others observe my decisions, relationships, and conduct, do they see evidence of the character of Christ, or do my actions sometimes contradict the faith I profess?

This Week’s Personal Challenge:

Identify one area of your life where religious routine, personal confidence, or competing responsibilities may have replaced intentional fellowship with God.

Perhaps you have been making decisions without taking time to pray.

Perhaps a ministry responsibility has become more focused on completing tasks than faithfully serving people.

Perhaps there is an attitude, habit, or relationship that requires renewed attention to God’s Word.

Set aside intentional time this week for prayerful examination.

Read 1 Peter 1:15-16 and reflect upon God’s call to holiness.

Then consider how that calling should influence the specific situation you have identified.

Ask God to reveal where your priorities, decisions, or conduct may need correction.

Identify one practical step toward greater faithfulness.

It may involve changing a habit, seeking forgiveness, accepting accountability, adjusting a responsibility, or creating a consistent opportunity for personal devotion.

Remember that holiness is not achieved through religious performance.

It is cultivated through a continuing relationship with God that transforms how we think, respond, and live.

A CLOSING THOUGHT

The enduring beauty of “Take Time to Be Holy” is not simply found in its gentle melody or its familiar invitation to personal devotion.

Its significance rests in the challenge presented by its message.

Are we intentionally pursuing the holiness of God, or have we become satisfied with the appearance of religious commitment?

William Dunn Longstaff was deeply involved in Christian service.

He supported evangelistic ministries, maintained relationships with influential religious leaders, and contributed his resources to the advancement of the gospel.

Yet the hymn for which he is remembered emphasizes something more fundamental than ministry accomplishments.

It calls believers to cultivate personal fellowship with Christ and allow that relationship to shape their conduct.

Israel’s experience in 1 Samuel 4 reminds us why that distinction matters.

The Israelites possessed the Ark of the Covenant.

They had priests.

They had religious traditions.

They understood the significance of God’s covenant relationship with their nation.

Yet their confidence in sacred symbols did not prevent a devastating defeat.

The presence of the Ark could not compensate for the failures of spiritual leadership and obedience.

Hophni and Phinehas held sacred offices, but their positions did not protect them from the consequences of their conduct.

Eli’s household experienced the fulfillment of divine judgment.

And the announcement that the glory had departed from Israel expressed the depth of the nation’s tragedy.

Their experience reminds us that we cannot substitute religious association for spiritual faithfulness.

We must also recognize that holiness is not a guarantee that faithful people will never experience suffering, disappointment, or difficulty.

Rather, holiness calls us to remain devoted to God regardless of our circumstances.

We do not pursue holiness to control God’s response.

We pursue holiness because He is holy and because we belong to Him.

Longstaff’s hymn invites us to make room for that relationship in the ordinary rhythms of life.

Time for prayer.

Time for Scripture.

Time for reflection.

Time to examine our motives.

Time to listen before acting.

Time to allow God’s Word to challenge the assumptions we may have accepted without question.

And time to demonstrate through our conduct the character of the Christ we profess to follow.

The question raised in this week’s Church School lesson is especially appropriate:

Who’s in charge?

Are we allowing God to direct our lives, or are we attempting to bring Him into plans we have already determined?

Are we seeking His holiness, or merely relying upon the outward appearance of religious commitment?

Are we leading with integrity, or allowing position and familiarity to replace accountability?

The answer must become visible through our choices.

Because genuine holiness is not simply something we discuss in worship.

It is a calling we pursue in everyday life.

Our worship must become more than the words of a familiar hymn.

It must become a continuing expression of reverence, humility, obedience, and faithful Christian conduct.

Lord, teach me to seek Your presence rather than merely rely upon religious appearances. Help me make time for Your Word, examine my decisions with humility, and honor You through faithful obedience. May my conduct reflect the character of Christ, and may every responsibility entrusted to me be fulfilled with reverence and integrity. Amen.

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