There’s an old hymn you might be familiar with, “Just as I am.” It was written in 1835 by a woman named Charlotte Elliot. Charlotte wrote the words to the hymn down after a night of wakefulness, her mind wandering thinking about how her life was so far “useless.” She decided to write the words of the gyms as a way to spell out something she could be sure of, not her emotions, but her salvation:
Just as I am, without one plea
But that They blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
Oh Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am- and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
Oh Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am- though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fighting and fears within, without,
Oh Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am- poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
Oh Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am- Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
Oh Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am- Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
Oh Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am- of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove
Here for a season, then above,
Oh Lamb of God, I come, I come!
When I honestly examine my relationships, when I really think about how I present myself to others, the words “just as I am” don’t really provide an accurate description. A more fitting phrase for me would be “just as I think they will like me,” or “just as I need to come off.” Unfortunately, I’m like this a lot with Jesus too. I feel like I need to get myself cleaned up a little bit before I can come to Him and His wonderful love. See, I don’t question that part, I know He loves me. I just tend to put an asterisk at the end, something like this:
Jesus loves me*
*as long as I’m not sinning and I’m having my quiet time and I get in 20 minutes of worship per day and I share the “verse of the day” to instagram.
I want to write the lyrics to this hymn one more time, but this time in the way that I think the Holy Spirit spoke them to Charlotte as she wrote them:
Just as you are, without prerequisite
But that I willingly gave My blood for you,
And that I beg you, come to Me,
Oh my child, come!
Just as you are, with no hesitation;
Don’t cover up any of your faults,
To Me, who can clean each spot,
Oh my child, come!
Just as you are, though bruised and scarred,
With all of you questions, all of your doubts,
Fighting fears in your mind and in life,
Oh my child, come!
Just as you are- feeling worthless, empty, and forgotten;
Worth, purpose, and joy I give,
Yes, all you need, in Me you’ll find
Oh my child, come!
Just as you are- I will take you in,
I’ll forgive, welcome, and give you peace
This is My promise, you can believe
Oh my child, come!
Just as you are- My indescribable love
Has broken any barrier between us
Now to Me, yes, Me alone
Oh my child, come!
Just as you are- of My free love
The full expanse of it I prove
You’re here for a time, then with Me above
Oh my child, come!
I don’t think Charlotte ever overanalyzed an instagram post to make people view her a certain way, but I’m sure she had her insecurities just like the rest of us. And when she sought the truth about it, Jesus told her to stop worrying about getting it right and just get with Him. I think He’s telling us the same thing. We don’t have to put concealer on the marks that life leaves on us before going to God. And we don’t need to be a certain type of person to please certain people. What if we started loving each other just as we are? What if we started loving ourselves just as we are? Sounds like a recipe for freedom to me.
