DUTY IS MINE, RESULTS ARE GOD’S
Slogan, or foundation?
This is one of my favorite quotes given by our 6th president, John Quincy Adams.
I have come to think that some of us are confused about its basis and meaning.
Some might believe that if we are faithful in the performance of our duties, God is bound to compensate for our shortcomings, turning evil into good, or bringing us success.
This is not what this quote suggests.
A study of this man’s life reveals a talented, committed, and faithful follower of Jesus Chris, who began his service to the United States government as a teenager and served the cause of liberty till his death.
The meaning proclaimed by John Quincy Adams when he said it was clear and profound.
President John Quincy Adams is the only ex-President to be elected representative to his congressional district after his presidential tenure, where he served for the remainder of his life.
His death was the result of a stroke that he suffered while debating on the floor of the House of Representatives.
You might wonder what the matter was that he was debating so close to the end of his time on this earth?
He was debating against the institution of slavery.
He was consumed with the violation of our Declaration of Independence in the compromise that allowed slavery to exist in the United States of America.
This is the one topic that constantly provoked Mr. Adams, and he was forbidden to broach it for a while.
The Declaration says, in the very first paragraph after the opening statement.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
It was this great declaration of foundational belief, unanimously endorsed by the signers of this document, that established in no uncertain terms that no person is authorized to exercise ownership over another, including kings. Acceptance of slavery within the bounds of this new nation was an egregious violation.
This belief was the foundation for this quote.
Someone once asked him why he persisted in this activism against the legality of slavery, provoking such great opposition.
He believed that it was his duty before God to oppose slavery because he believed in God-given freedom for every human. He truly believed the words, “... all men are created equal…” He also believed that it was his duty before God to confront the legitimacy of an institution of such an egregious violation of God’s will.
This was the basis for this statement. It was not that he believed that God would end slavery because he opposed it. He believed it was a violation of God’s will, and it was his duty to oppose it.
John Quincy Adams never saw the day that slavery was ended in America. He died before Abraham Lincoln was president.
He campaigned against slavery on principle alone. He believed it to be his personal duty to fight this demonic institution in service to God.
He did not believe it to be God’s duty to bring about the end of slavery as a reward for his faithfulness to the cause. He believed the words, “all men are created equal,” and he believed God would end slavery because it was His will.
Mr. Adams believed it was his duty to remain faithful to the cause because it pleased his creator. He believed that God would do His will because it is His will, and he sought to align himself with that will with his whole being.
God bless you, Dave
Well written article. I wonder if Mr. Adam was often frustrated that so few saw the evil of slavery and how the institution violated the Declaration of Independence.