“Jesus I Come” by Elevation Worship was one of the songs offered in praise during the service at my church this past Sunday.  It rang through my heart.  It has been echoing through my soul ever since.

The segment of the song that has been reverberating through my mind are these lyrics:

“Thank You Jesus
Just as I am I Come
Hallelujah
Oh What Amazing Love”

Just as I am

How many people in your life know you just as you are?   How many people welcome you and bid you to come just as you are?

Those are questions that I have been asking myself.  I came up with a list of those I knew I could turn to in both the most amazing moments of rejoicing and the moments of being crushed in bitterness.  It is a short list, but I am so deeply grateful for each one on that list.

It takes a bold courage to come just as I am before people.  It takes a mighty vulnerability to come just as I am.

What will people say?  What will people think?  What impression will I make?  What impact will it have on my future?  How do I look?  What will I say?  How will I be received?  So many questions that I attempt to process before I go somewhere or go to someone.

There are a lot of things I do, based upon the image others have of me, that I try to live up to or even live down to.  I also do many things because of the image I have in my mind of who I want to be.  Many times I find myself costumed by assumptions, speculations and labels; dressed up as something that I am not.

It seems easier and safer to dress up than to be real.  I would venture to guess that all of us who come together through this blog have been wounded and hurt through an attempt to come just as we are.  Someone who broke a trust and shared something intimately personal, making us the subject of community gossip.  Someone who only cared when we could be of service to them, someone who said the right words but whose actions left us alone, or someone who walked away when we were praying they would draw near.

Those Who Come to Me

As easy as it would be to point a finger of blame, I must confess that I am guilty on all counts of being the person who has wounded and hurt others.  So my reflection has also been a matter of how comfortable are others coming to me just as they are?

Do they feel I tried to costume them with my assumptions, speculations or labels?  Or do my actions and words create an environment of trust, love and acceptance that allow others to let go of the uniforms they attempt to wear?

As much as those are questions that I would like to be able to answer, the real answer lies with those who have spent time with me.

Only for a Few

I just want to say that we can not lay our souls bare for every person that we interact with, nor can we welcome every single person currently on this planet with the fullness of who they are.  We are of limited means in terms of time, talents and treasures.  Our personal resources are constrained and are not unending.

We go through so many seasons in life where circumstances greatly change, making what we were able to do no longer a possibility, and opening up opportunity to do something else.

We also live in a broken world with broken people, many of which we are not equipped on our own to help.  Some of which would not receive help as it is offered, others who intend bitter harm, and those who need help of a highly professional nature.

There will be a few in our lives who we can come to just as we are, authentically and vulnerably.  What a rich and lavish blessing are.

Even though we are limited, there is One who is unlimited, unconstrained and has arms outstretched to welcome all.

Oh What Amazing Love

Only the perfect, unconditional love, the amazing love of Jesus could welcome all in just as we are.  A love so great that it calls to us to just come as we are.  To lose every bit of costumed label, assumption and speculation.

“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  Colossians 1:13-14 (NIV)

So the words of the song proclaim:

“I will Rise
And Stand Redeemed
Heaven Open Over Me”

Unlimited time, talent and treasure are His.  His intention is only for our good.  Perfectly equipped and trained with all knowledge, wisdom and power.  The most broken by all of the sins of the world who walks in resurrection as the one most filled with abundant life.

“In all my Weaknesses
You are my Confidence
Jesus I come, Jesus I come”

In my weakness, fear and doubt.  The places where I worry about what others think, say and do.  The images and expectations I try to live up to or live down to, the illusions that I struggle to hold on to.  Jesus welcomes us and calls us.  We can be certain of His trust, His loyalty and His love.

“In Every Broken Place
You are my Righteousness
Jesus I come, Jesus I come”

For every sin I have committed, for every wound I have inflicted, for every trust I have damaged and for all of the brokenness I have encountered.  EVERY impurity that I have is met by the amazing love of Jesus and is fully redeemed.

In Jesus we are saved from every speculation, we are liberated from every label, we are atoned from every assumption.  So that Just as I am, I come. 

Beloved Lord,

Jesus, I pray that Heaven would open over us today.  May we come to You just as we are.  May we be in awe of Your amazing love that welcomes us, that liberates us, that saves us and that redeems us.  From that redemption may we rise in new life, abundant life, a fullness of eternal life.  

From that amazing love may we use what You have so generously given us to welcome those as we can, to help the few that You bring into our lives each day and to bring eternally glory not unto ourselves, but onto You.

Thank You, Jesus.  Hallelujah, Oh what Amazing Love.  Amen.