Just As I Am

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

If you are familiar with hymns, you will probably recognize this timeless favorite. This morning while baking in my kitchen, I was listening to Travis Cottrell’s version of this classic; his added chorus caught my attention:

I come broken to be mended
I come wounded to be healed
I come desperate to be rescued
I come empty to be filled
I come guilty to be pardoned
By the blood of Christ the Lamb
And I’m welcomed with open arms
Praise God, just as I am

It made me realize: since we can only come to God just as we are, how humbling and terrifying is it that the only completely holy being chooses to bring us into His presence? To reference another hymn (“Victory in Jesus”), “He loved me ere I knew Him”. Before I knew Him, before I sinned against Him, before I accepted forgiveness…I was loved.

Broken, wounded, desperate, empty, guilty…the marks of my Christ-less state….He has welcomed me to come, and through His love He changes me.

Admittedly, I am a perfectionist. (Well, a recovering perfectionist–hopefully.) I want everything I do to be “just right”. I want everything about me to be “just right”.

But Jesus bids me to come “just as I am”. He’ll do the perfecting.

And I’m welcomed with open arms
Praise God, just as I am