Just As I Am

The famous hymn, "Just As I Am" was written by Charlotte Elliott birthed out of a time when she was depressed and felt useless like she had absolutely nothing to offer. Ms. Elliot was raised up in a Christian home, surrounded by a family deeply committed to their faith. As a young woman, she gained fame as a poet, showcasing her literary talents and wit. Despite her upbringing and success, Elliott struggled with feelings of uselessness and depression, particularly after a serious illness left her disabled at the age of 32. It was during this time of inner turmoil that she encountered Swiss minister and hymnologist César Malan.

Malan’s gentle encouragement to “come to Christ just as you are” struck a chord with Elliott. His words would later inspire her to write the timeless hymn “Just As I Am,” expressing the profound truth that we can approach God without any pretense or plea, relying solely on His grace and love.

In 1834, while Elliott’s family attended a church bazaar to raise funds for a charity school, she found herself confined at home due to her illness. Alone and struggling with feelings of isolation and depression, Elliott recalled the words of César Malan, who had encouraged her to come to Christ just as she was.

In that moment of reflection and despair, Elliott penned the lyrics to “Just As I Am,” pouring out her heart’s cry for salvation and acceptance. The hymn’s simple yet profound message resonated with her own experience of coming to faith, not through any merit of her own, but through the unconditional love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Little did Ms. Elliott know, the struggle she had with depression and feelings of uselessness would lead to a song that would be sung by masses at the end of services in which millions would walk the isle.

It turned out, none other than "Just As I Am" would be the favored hymn for evangelist Billy Graham. It all came down to the “invitation,” the climactic point at the end of his crusades when he invited people to leave their seats and make a decision for Christ.

As it turned out, there wouldn’t be a Billy Graham invitation without “Just as I Am,” the slow-moving, soul-moving hymn that accompanied millions down the aisle and became Graham’s signature anthem and title of his 1997 autobiography.

Kevin Eckstrom of The Salt Lake Tribune writes of Ms. Elliott's song; “The refrain in each stanza — ‘O Lamb of God, I come, I come’ — is essentially a vehicle for moving people down the aisle to the point where the preacher is waiting to receive them,” said Carl Daw Jr., former executive director of the Hymn Society of the United States and Canada.

By 1925, it appeared in at least 20 separate hymnals. In Daw’s survey of hymnals published between 1976 and 1996, it was found in 30 of 40 hymnbooks. Only Christmas carols were more popular.