‘Kwa Mfano Wako‘ is the 29th hymn in the Nyimbo za Injili book by Evangel Publishing House in Nairobi, Kenya. The book’s publisher aims for it to be a medium of blessings to individuals and people (congregations) who desire to worship and praise God at home, educational institutions, and churches.
Kwa Mfano Wako Lyrics [Nyimbo za Injili 29]
1 Kwa mfano wako, Mwokozi wangu,
Hiyo ni tumaini langu;
Mali za dunia nitatoa,
Nipate mfano kama Yesu.
Kiitikio Kwa mfano wako, Kwa mfano wako,
Ewe Mkombozi, niwe wako;
Unitilie muhuri yako,
Nigeuke kwa mfano wako.
2 Kwa mfano wako, Mwenye huruma,
Kusamehe na kuwa mwema;
Waangukao niwainue,
Wenye dhambi niwatafute.
3 Kwa mfano wako, Roho mpole,
Mtakatifu, Mvumilivu;
Kila kemeo kustahimili,
Mateso yote nikubali.
4 Kwa mfano wako, ninakujia,
Nipakwe na mafuta yako;
Nakuletea uzima wangu,
Tangu sasa na niwe wako.
5 Kwa mfano wako, ninakusihi,
Unimwagie Roho yako;
Niwe hekalu, ukae ndani,
Nistahilishe pendo lako.
Equivalent Hymn (English Translation):
O, to be Like Thee
1 Oh! to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Refrain Oh! to be like Thee, oh! to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
2 Oh! to be like Thee, full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.
3 Oh! to be like Thee, lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer, others to save.
4 Oh! to be like Thee, Lord, I am coming,
Now to receive th’ anointing divine;
All that I am and have I am bringing,
Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine.
5 Oh! to be like Thee, while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love,
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Background
Writing
The hymn ‘Kwa Mfano Wako’ (‘O to be like Thee’) was written by Thomas Obadiah Chisholm (1866-1960) who converted to Christianity in 1893 at the age of 27 years while he worked as an associate editor of his local paper. Thomas converted to Christianity during a revival meeting that was convened by Henry Clay Morrison in Franklin, Kentucky.
After that, Morrison invited Thomas to move to Louisville, Kentucky, from Franklin, Kentucky, where he became his magazine’s office editor and business manager, the ‘Pentecostal Herald’. Thomas began writing religious poetry, eventually publishing over 1,200 poems with definite messages from the Word of God. 800 of these appeared in religious periodicals, with a number being used as hymn texts. For example, Great is thy faithfulness, Only in Thee, The Only Way, and Living for Jesus.
O to be like Thee
Thomas’ ‘O, to be like Thee’ was his request to be transformed into the image that Christ was (is) (2 Corinthians 3:18). He outlined his petition by highlighting the several ways in which you should strive to be like Jesus in the stanzas of his poem as follows.
- Gladly forfeiting all of the earth’s treasures (Ephesians 1:7, Philippians 2:5-8, and 2 Peter 1:4).
- Being fully compassionate and loving to help others (Ephesians 5:1-2, Romans 15:1-3, and Luke 19:10).
- Being lowly in spirit and meek to endure suffering (Ephesians 4:1-2, Matthew 5:10-12, and 1 Peter 2:21-23).
- Fully surrendering to God, including fully surrendering all we have to Him (Matthew 11:28–30, 2 Corinthians 8:5, and Titus 2:11-14).
- Seeking the spirit of Christ (Ephesians 5:18, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, and Romans 8:6-11).
This was Thomas’ first hymn to be widely received in 1897 after William James Kirkpatrick composed its tune (put the words of the poem into music).
