“Nothing is more valuable and commendable, and yet not one duty is less practiced, than that of charity. We often pretend concern and pity for the misery and distress of our fellow creatures, but yet seldom commiserate their condition so much as to relieve them according to our abilities; but unless we assist them with what they may stand in need of, for the body, as well as for the soul, all our wishes are no more than words of no value or regard, and are not to be esteemed or regarded; for when we hear of any deplorable circumstance, in which our fellow creatures are involved, be they friends or enemies, it is our duty, as Christians, to assist them to the utmost of our power…
For if we have not charity, we are not Christians: charity is the great duty of Christians; and where is our Christianity, if we want charity? Therefore let me beseech you to exercise charity to your distressed fellow creatures. Indeed my dear brethren, this is truly commendable, truly valuable; and therefore, I beseech you, in the bowels of tender mercy to Christ, to consider his poor distressed members; exercise, exercise, I beseech you, this charity. If you have no compassion, you anre not true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. I humble beg you to consider those who want relief and are really destitute, and relieve them according to your abilities.”
George Whitefield (1714-1770) in “The Great Duty of Charity Recommended” sermon on 1 Corinthians 13:8 Sermons of George Whitefield (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2009) 241, 249.
The core of Christianity is charity. Why must we exercise it? To commiserate with the spiritually broken, relieve the physically afflicted, and assist the emotionally distressed according to our ability is a reflection of what Christ did for us that first Christmas in becoming man. He did not send help, He came and at every turn He graciously aided the destitute.
Why don’t we exercise it? Why, in the words of Whitefield, is it “less practiced”? There are a host of reasons. Our sin nature leans toward selfishness. We wrongly seek security our abundance rather than the God who provided it, much like the Israelites of old worshipped the golden calf rather than the God who gave them the calf. We judge whether others are worthy of our aid. The list goes on.
So for all who claim to be Christians, let us exercise our minds for spiritual health and our bodies for physical health, and this advent season, may we train ourselves to exercise our hearts, hands, and feet to race to charity. Why not start today, it’s Giving Tuesday! Charity is not optional. As Whitfield says if you are disinterested in charity, please abandon the label Christian immediately.