Generation Hymn StoriesSample

Just As I Am (I Come Believing)

This hymn was written by Charlotte Elliott, a Victorian hymn writer who was born in south London in 1789 and died in Brighton, England, in 1871. At age 32, she suffered from a serious illness that left her disabled for the rest of her life. In 1834, Elliott moved to Brighton to live with her brother, the Rev. Henry Venn Elliott.

One day Elliott’s family attended a church bazaar organized to raise funds for a charity school. She was compelled to stay at home alone, confined by her sickness. Though depressed by feelings of uselessness and loneliness, she recalled a message sent to her by César Malan during the darkest period of her soul, “Come to Christ just as you are.” Taking the message to heart, Elliott overcame her distress to write this hymn.

This story is a wonderful example of how God is at work in and through us when we choose simple acts of service and obedience. We may not always see the results of our actions, but He is still at work. Burdened by her illness, Elliott could have just laid in her bed having a pity party. But she chose instead a very simple act of faith and service. She didn’t live to see the millions of people that would come to faith through singing her hymn, but God was on the move and continues using her simple act of worship to this day. Find encouragement in the truth that God is behind the scenes in your life right now and will use you in ways you may never know this side of heaven. Be faithful with one simple act of obedience at a time.

– Tommy Walker

Story compiled by Discipleship Ministries | Nashville, Tennessee.