“Schemes of religion or moral philosophy, which, however well in some respects they may treat of benevolence to mankind, and other virtues depending on it, yet have not a supreme regard to God, and love to him, laid in the foundation and all other virtues handled in a connection with this, and in a subordination to this, are no true schemes of philosophy, but are fundamentally and essentially defective.
And whatever other benevolence or generosity towards mankind, and other virtues or moral qualifications which go by that name, any are possessed of that are not attended with a love of God, which is altogether above them, and to which they are subordinate, and on which they are dependent, there is nothing of the nature of true virtue or religion in them.
And it may be asserted in general that nothing is of the nature of true virtue, in which God is not the first and the last; or which, with regard to their exercises in general, have not their first foundation and source in apprehensions of God’s supreme dignity and glory, and in answerable esteem and love of him, and have not respect to God as the supreme end…”
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in “The Nature of True Virtue,” excerpt from Chapter III in A Jonathan Edwards Reader ed. John E. Smith, Harry S. Stout, and Kenneth P. Minkema (Yale University Press, 1995) 258.
May each of us focus not on generosity but rather on love of God, and let our generosity flow from there.
May we not focus on service in our church but rather on love of God and out of that love service in our church. May we not focus on feeding the poor but rather on love of God and out of that love feed the poor. May we not focus on freeing people from human trafficking but rather on love of God and out of that love set captives free.
Edwards is spot on to argue that all benevolence not rooted in love of God is at the heart, defective. This leads me to meditate on 1 Corinthians 13 this morning, and to pray that love of God be the motivation and inspiration from which our generosity flows today and every day.