Shaped by the Potter: The Lasting Power of “Have Thine Own Way, Lord”

Season 3, Episode 6 | The Bright Forever Podcast
By Andy Peavyhouse

Surrender is perhaps the most challenging spiritual discipline we face as believers. In a culture that prizes autonomy and self-determination, the idea of yielding control feels not only foreign—but threatening. Yet this very surrender lies at the heart of the Christian life, beautifully embodied in Adelaide Pollard’s timeless hymn, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.”

The Story Behind the Hymn

In 1902, Adelaide Pollard was devastated. She had prepared her heart and life for missionary work in Africa, believing the call was from God—only to have the financial support fall through. Crushed and confused, she attended a prayer meeting, where an elderly woman’s words pierced her heart:

“It really doesn't matter what You do with us, Lord. Just have Your own way with our lives.”

That simple statement, paired with Pollard’s meditation on Jeremiah 18 and the image of the potter and the clay, inspired one of the most enduring hymns of surrender in church history.

"Thou Art the Potter, I Am the Clay"

The metaphor from Jeremiah is powerful: a potter shaping a vessel, even reworking it when the clay becomes misshapen. Pollard’s first verse echoes this truth:

“Mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.”

Surrender isn’t passive—it’s a posture of trust. Especially in moments of disappointment, it takes profound faith to be yielded and still, trusting that the Potter knows best.

Inviting God’s Searchlight

The second verse takes us deeper:

“Search me and try me, Master, today. Open mine eyes, my sin show me now…”

Like Psalm 139, this verse is a courageous invitation for God to examine us fully. Surrender is not just about giving up our plans—it’s about allowing God to expose what’s holding us back from truly trusting Him.

The Weakness That Leads to Strength

The third verse voices what we often hide:

“Wounded and weary, help me I pray. Power, all power, surely is Thine…”

We are not as strong as we think. And the sooner we embrace our weakness, the sooner we discover that His grace is sufficient—and that His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The Result of Surrender: Transformation

Pollard ends the hymn with the real aim of surrender:

“Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me.”

This is the miracle of a surrendered life—not that we disappear, but that Christ shines through us, changing us from the inside out (Galatians 2:20).

A Life Rewritten by Grace

Though Pollard’s original plans to serve overseas were delayed, God used her life in powerful ways. She went on to teach at a missionary training school, serve briefly in Africa, minister in Scotland during World War I, and preach across New England. Her legacy lives on—not just through her work, but through this hymn, which continues to help others yield to the Potter’s hands.

A Daily Surrender

The beauty of “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” is that it speaks to more than a moment—it speaks to a rhythm. A life of faith is not marked by one grand surrender but by daily, humble submission to God’s will in our joys, our sorrows, our detours, and our delays.

Every disappointment, every closed door, every change of direction becomes another invitation to say:
“Have Thine own way, Lord.”

📬 We’d Love to Hear From You

Has this hymn shaped your life? Is God asking you to surrender something today?
Share your story with us at 📧 podcast@thebrightforever.com