IT IS NOT ENOUGH

IT IS NOT ENOUGH

Isa. 49:6

            In Isaiah 49:6, Isaiah is told, “It is too small a thing...to only restore the ones of Israel; I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles.  That you should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.”  God had bigger plans for Isaiah that would benefit many more than just Israel.  Man can become nearsighted and can easily overlook a greater cause for himself.  But God, on the other hand, does not overlook anything.  The term used here, “It is too small a thing,” is used by us in a different form that sounds more like, “It is not enough.”  Lets take a moment and look at some things we might fall short of, things we must be aware that we can do too little or not enough of.

            One thing to be aware of is that “it is not enough” to just get rid of the bad things or sins in our life when we obey the gospel.  However, that is certainly one of the first things we must do.  We are reminded by Paul when he wrote to the Romans in Rom. 12:2, that we are expected to not only put off that old man (Eph. 4:17-22), but we are expected to transform ourselves by the renewing of our minds into a new man (Eph. 4:23-29), that we might prove to the world what the good and acceptable will of God is.  This requires spiritual growth to begin immediately after obeying the gospel for our own protection from the world, but also to be of benefit to those around us.  We see, it is not enough to just stop doing bad, we must also learn to do good!

            Also, it is not enough to only concern ourselves with our own salvation.  It is God’s perfect will that the world be saved through the preaching of man (1 Cor. 1:21).  This requires man to fulfill his responsibility to his creator.  Our responsibility to the world around us is to become salt, light, preachers, teachers and examples to them.  Their salvation depends on it.  It also is to benefit our brothers and sisters in the church and help those who may find themselves in need.  The writer of Hebrews tells us in 5:12, that we can become dull of hearing and that results in a lack of growth or a stunted state of growth.  He writes, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”  He describes this state as, “Being unskilled in the word of righteousness.”  We have to look beyond the steps of salvation in order to become skilled servants for God.  God requires it.  As the text further states, it is what enables us to be able to discern between good and evil and to benefit the world in our fulfillment to God.

            Let us always be identifying areas that we must grow and improve in.  When we become better servants to God, we also become better servants to each other.  Work hard, so we don’t come up short in our service and we will never hear those disappointing words, “It was not enough.” Anyone who knows God knows he deserves our best.  That certainly includes our service to him in light of all he has done, and does, for us.  We must ask ourselves, “What kind of effort do I give God?  If God gave me the same attention that I gave him, what kind of condition would I be in?”

 - Marc Hopkins