Just As I Am

Have you ever sung the hymn Just As I Am?

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

It was written by a woman who rarely left her sickbed. Charlotte Elliott, born in 1789, spent most of her adult life ill and uncomfortable. She felt useless, forgotten, and bitter toward God.

Until one day, a pastor told her, "Come to Jesus... just as you are."

And that moment changed everything. Charlotte understood for the first time that she was accepted and loved in her brokenness because of Christ. Though her body remained frail, her soul was set free. She surrendered her life and picked up her pen.

From that place of pain, she wrote hundreds of hymns, poems, and letters, including the one that still invites us all to come just as we are.

She once wrote:
“God sees, God guides, God guards me. His grace surrounds me, and his voice continually bids me to be happy and holy in His service just where I am.”

We don’t have to be strong, because it’s the Lord who is the strength in our weakness.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!