JUST AS I AM...

A couple of months back, I was asked to begin teaching a group of middle school kids from the Radford area as part of a ministry group our church does on Tuesday nights. The previous Pastor did a fantastic job week after week giving the kids a series of messages that pertained to the times and culture they currently live in. In my spirit, however, I felt a burden that we needed to teach these kids about the most simplistic, yet most wonderful part of our faith . . . Jesus Christ.

I went back to a time when, as a boy, I received Christ. I was maybe 6 or 7 (I really don’t remember), but I do remember what song was playing that night at church. A simple hymn called Just As I Am. The music was soft and inviting and the words were simple, yet compelled my heart to go forward toward the altar. I heard that song many times as a boy and each time I can remember feeling a need to draw closer to Him.

This song has a note of importance as to its origin. I found this on the internet in several places. The song was written by Miss Charlotte Elliott back in the 1800s:

“Miss Charlotte Elliott was vi­sit­ing some friends in the West End of Lon­don, and there met the em­i­nent min­is­ter, Cé­sar Ma­lan. While seat­ed at sup­per, the min­is­ter said he hoped that she was a Christ­ian. She took of­fense at this, and re­plied that she would ra­ther not dis­cuss that quest­ion. Dr. Ma­lan said that he was sor­ry if had of­fend­ed her, that he al­ways liked to speak a word for his Mas­ter, and that he hoped that the young la­dy would some day be­come a work­er for Christ. When they met again at the home of a mu­tu­al friend, three weeks lat­er, Miss Ell­i­ott told the min­is­ter that ev­er since he had spok­en to her she had been try­ing to find her Savior, and that she now wished him to tell her how to come to Christ. “Just come to him as you are,” Dr. Ma­lan said. This she did, and went away re­joic­ing. Shortly af­ter­ward she wrote this hymn.”

A couple of weeks before my first lesson with these kids, I found in my dad’s collection of CDs one from a Mennonite Choir. One of the songs was “Just As I Am”. I listened to that CD several times on a business trip to Nashville. Once again, I found myself wanting to draw closer to Him. As I prayed, what was revealed to my spirit was both simple and beautiful. God was telling me to teach these kids to come to Him just as they are.

Today’s generation is bombarded with messages from their home, school and from society that are simply designed to pull them away from God and His standards set in the Bible. They feel that they are unworthy of love or acceptance by God because they are judged for the clothes they wear, the money they have (or lack), their social status or by sinful acts they have committed openly and behind closed doors. Once judgment has been passed by Christians and non-Christians alike, they don’t feel worthy. Much like the story of Charlotte Elliott, they take offense to anyone who genuinely cares for them and is concerned about their spiritual well being. How do we reach them?

When we speak to them about Christ’s love for them, read John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The world includes all of us . . . the good, the bad and the ugly. It includes you, me and all of those who walk the Earth. The key part of this scripture is WHOSOEVER believes in Him . . . any of us, no matter how far from God we are or how unworthy we look in the eyes of others, we can ask Jesus into our hearts. How do we come to Him? . . . Just as we are!

-Pastor Chris Blackburn
Children's Pastor