Finding Grace in Adversity: The Inspiring Story Behind the Hymn "Just as I Am

Join us on this episode, as we uncover how Charlotte Elliott's experiences with chronic illness and spiritual turmoil inspired a hymn that has offered solace to countless souls. Her narrative is a testament to finding strength and purpose in vulnerability, reminding us of the timeless invitation to approach God just as we are.  Whether grappling with your own challenges or seeking hope in trying times, Charlotte's journey serves as a beacon of God's enduring love and faithfulness. If her story moves you, consider subscribing, sharing with friends, and leaving a review to help spread this message of hope.

References for the show
Hymnary.org
101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck (1982)

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Chapters

• 0:06 Just as I Am
• 15:47 Finding Purpose in Charlotte Elliott's Story

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

Welcome to Faithfully Living, the podcast where we learn how to live for Christ in our daily lives. I'm Dwan, your host, and I would like to invite you on a journey with me to explore and learn how to be a faithful follower of Christ. Follower of Christ. Hey everyone, welcome to Faithfully Living, the podcast where we strive to encourage you to live for Christ faithfully, for offering guidance on how to study the Bible, how to understand the Bible better and how to remain faithful to historic Christianity in a contemporary society. Just as I Am is a beautiful hymn about surrender, about God's grace that meets us right where we are, without any conditions or requirement. It was written by Charlotte Elliott, a woman who knew well the struggle of feeling unworthy and burdened and yet found peace and acceptance in God's love. Her life was marked by physical suffering, loneliness and bouts of deep discouragement. Yet she held on to her faith and, in a moment of spiritual breakthrough, she wrote the words of Just as I Am, and it has been sung all around the world. So in today's episode, we're going to explore the life of Charlotte Elliott and how her own experience with God's grace gave rise to a hymn that calls each of us to come to him, just as we are All right.

Speaker 1: 1:55

So Charlotte Elliott was born in Cat Pam, england, in 1789. She was raised in a loving Christian family and she was known for her wit and creativity and artistic talent. Known for her wit and creativity and artistic talent, she enjoyed a vibrant youth filled with promise and opportunity. But as she got older, at the age of 32, she was struck by illness that changed her life forever and it left her permanently disabled, with her health being fragile and her spiritual strength being limited. She found herself in constant pain and this illness left her. She was chronically ill and she wasn't able to participate and be active like she had once been in her life. And with her physical limitations it made her feel like she was a burden to her family and left her with a sense of hopelessness. You know, physical suffering was one thing that she dealt with, but it also came with a lot of emotional pull that came along with it. So she had bouts of depression and bitterness and even anger about her condition, because she at once lived, you know, a vibrant life. She had many friends, she had social engagement that she would go to, but her illness cut her ambition short and made her bedridden and housewritten, and I'm almost certain to know that. You know she wrestled with her feelings of inadequacy and loneliness with the Lord, because pretty sure she spent many times alone in her room and she most often wondered, probably like what's the purpose of her life now that she is confined by illness.

Speaker 1: 3:58

I've read that she said she wondered what could she possibly offer God in her weakened state, and it is in the context of this pain and frustration that she began a journey of faith that will ultimately bring her peace and purpose despite her circumstances. So one day he met Dr Cesar Malin. He's a family friend and a well-known Swiss minister and during his visit he noticed Charlotte's distress in her spiritual turmoil, her bitterness about her condition, and he gently asked her if she had made peace with God and Charlotte. She was acutely aware of her flaws and her weaknesses and her doubts and the question do you have peace with God? It unsettled her and she admitted that she didn't know how to come to God or whether or not she was worthy enough to do so. So Dr Mallon's response to her was simple yet profound. He encouraged her to come to God exactly how she was. He told her that she didn't need to fix herself or achieve some level of wordiness. She only needed to accept God's invitation to her and come to him. He told her come just as you are. And these words left a deep impression on Charlotte's heart and the simple invitation began to reshape her understanding of her faith and no longer did she feel that she had to be worthy or perfect or strong, and instead she realized that her need for God was enough and his grace was there to meet her exactly where she was. So this conversation marked a turning point for Charlotte and a new beginning of faith where she learned to rely on God's grace alone. And over time she let go of her own self-doubt and accepted that she could come to Jesus exactly as she was weak, broken and uncertain. And she realized God's love dep depend on her physical strength or her ability, but on his unconditional grace. And she realized that her need for God was enough and his grace was there to meet, meet her exactly where she was. The, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the.

Speaker 1: 7:16

So over time, charlotte carried Dr Mallon's words in her heart and they took root, um, but her, her sorrows and her illness didn't go away. She still, she still from time to time had her doubts, frustration and incur in and um discouragement over her physical pain. And she, she continued, like all of us, you know, to struggle with those feelings of doubt and frustration. And all of these feelings came to a head in 1834, during time when her, her health was especially fragile. Her, during this time, her family was preparing for an important charity event to raise money for a local school for girls and because of her illness, charlotte, she wasn't able to attend or participate. And she was feeling particularly discouraged that day when all of these activities were happening, being frustrated and then, of course, thinking again, like wondering what is her value and purpose for her, for her life? And I can see how you know, when you're in constant physical pain and you're ill, a lot or a majority of the time that you can, you know, feel discouraged and frustrated.

Speaker 1: 8:39

So one night in her room, when she was feeling overwhelmed, she remembered dr um malin's words come just as you are. And in that moment she poured out her heart and wrote the poem. She put her, she put her struggles into words and that's how we got the hymn Just as I Am. She writes Just as I am, without one plea, but that my blood was shed for me and that thou biddest me come to thee, o Lamb of God, I come. I come Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, not to rid my soul of dark a one dark plot, to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot. Oh, lamb of god, I come. I come just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, oh, lamb of god, I come. I come just as I am. Thou would receive, will wait.

Speaker 1: 9:55

So you can hear in these words how Charlotte expressed the simplicity and beauty of the gospel, how we can come to God with nothing but our need for him. This was a revolutionary thought for her, and she didn't need to earn God's acceptance or feel worthy of it. She needed to accept his invitation. So, reflecting on her words from the verses of just as I am, you know, it reminds us that god's invitation isn't just for those who think that they're worthy and strong and successful, but it's for all of us. You know, some of us believe that we're not worthy or even adequate enough, but you know, no matter what our circumstances, our struggles or our doubt. You know, when you hear and read the verses of Just as I Am, it builds on the theme that it emphasized that there's nothing that we need to bring to god other than ourselves and our ourselves and a repentant and surrendered heart. As you read the opening verse, just as I am, without one plea but that that that blood was shed for me and it speaks to the, the heart of our faith, that jesus sacrifice was the only plea that we need and we don't need to bring anything to the table other than our openness to, to god's grace. And then there's a refrain oh, lamb of god, I come, I come. So it gives the sense of vulnerability, the kind of words that we're surrendering, asking nothing more than to be accepted, and that's part of the gospel message.

Speaker 1: 11:56

Charlotte Elliott, you know she may have lived with physical limitations and doubt, but through this hymnmn she offered the world an invitation to grace. Through her words she took her own struggle and turned it into a message of hope and peace for others. You know, every one of us has moments of of our has moments where we feel, you know, unworthy or inadequate. This is a universal struggle for all of us, even if some people won't admit it. We still have this struggle and there's a hymn that reassures us that we don't have to fix ourselves to come to God. It's an open invitation to come to God exactly as we are. And I guess what I want to emphasize here that even though we come to God exactly as we are, we don't leave exactly as we are. We don't leave exactly as we are. He gives us a new life. We surrender and he makes us a new creature. So when we think about that, you know, the world, in the world, we often feel the pressure to, you know, measure up, to achieve, to be good enough, and this hymn reminds us that none of that matters when it comes to our relationship with God. God has offered us his salvation through Christ and that he accepts us in our weaknesses, our doubts, our brokenness and our sins.

Speaker 1: 13:35

And when Charlotte Elliott wrote this hymn, you know, it resonated deeply with people and people. It was a hymn or a poem that spread quickly. It appeared in hymnals across England and eventually around the world, and it's a hymn that became a favorite in church services and revivals and even in personal moments of prayer. Now this hymn, you know, speaks to those who feel unworthy and weak and distant from God. So, you know, in the 21st century, just as I Am is famously associated with the or was famously associated with the Billy Graham Crusades. You know it was often sung at the close of each service as an invitation for people to come forward and accept Christ. And Billy Graham once said that no other hymn had touched people's hearts as powerful as Just as I Am. And you know, for countless individuals it became the soundtrack to the decision to follow Christ.

Speaker 1: 15:00

So over many, many years, just as I Am has been sung, like I said, in countenance, church services, revival meetings, people singing it in their own hearts, and it's been translated into multiple language and church by many believers around the world. It has a message of God's unconditional love that continues to remind us of that faith. The faith that we have isn't based upon being worthy or perfect. It's about coming to Jesus and trusting in his love for us and his sacrifice for us.

Speaker 1: 15:47

Charlotte Elliott's Her life, as we've learned it, was far from easy, and yet she was able to find Purpose in her pain and brought comfort to others Through the words that she penned. And today we and other believers Still find encouragement in her story and in the words she penned in those many years ago. So thank you for joining me in today's episode. I hope Charlotte Elliott's story has reminded you of the power of grace and the invitation to come to God, no matter where we are in life. And if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend. And until next time, remember God is always good and he's always faithful. Thank you for listening to the podcast. Do me a favor by following the podcast and leaving a review to help spread the word. I look forward to hearing from you.