Never Enough?

Tony Cooke

Have you ever had the feeling or thought that what you are doing for the Lord was not enough? That you are somehow falling short of what God desires or expects from you?

One of the churches Jesus addressed in the book of Revelation was located in Sardis. The Lord told them, “I have not found your works perfect before God” (Revelation 3:2 NLT). He told them in the previous verse, “you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”

We can all understand the reality of a believer or congregation being lazy or apathetic toward the things of God. That is one thing. But what happens when a fully-committed and fully-engaged Christian or preacher still feels that what he or she is doing is not enough? What are we to make of it when a person is “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV), yet still feels like his or her works are inadequate?

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, I had the privilege of traveling with Kenneth Hagin to a dozen or more of his ministers’ conferences (and in one case, I filled in for him). I drove him and Oretha to and from meetings and enjoyed many meals with them during these events. In one particular evening service, his teaching was richer than I had ever heard him. He taught for three-and-a-half hours straight, but it seemed like it only lasted thirty minutes.

There was nothing flashy or spectacular about the meeting, but the teaching anointing was tremendously strong. I don’t recall a single person leaving the meeting early, and based on how people received, I think he could have taught for a few hours longer and no one would have minded. It was truly an exceptional, out-of-the-ordinary service.

When we got in the car afterward, my natural tendency would have been to tell Brother Hagin how tremendously blessed I was by that night’s ministry, and to let him know how impacted everyone had been by the Word and presence of God (I heard others express these types of sentiments after the meeting).

Instead, when we got in the car, I decided to do a little experiment. Without expressing the sense of amazement I felt, I stoically asked, “Well, Brother Hagin, how do you feel like you did tonight?” His response remains fascinating to me yet today. He humbly remarked, “You know, I always feel like I could have done better.” His statement was completely sincere and there was no pretense of false humility. He was speaking from his heart.

I felt like I had just watched Rembrandt painting or Michaelangelo sculpting, but his only comment was that he felt that he could have done better. Wow! Maybe this is one of the reasons God was able to use Brother Hagin as he did. It is safe to say that he had a strong grasp on what Paul taught about how we are to perceive ourselves.

Romans 12:3 (NIV)
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Paul also asked the Corinthians, “What do you have that God hasn’t given you?” (1 Corinthians 4:7 NLT). The Message renders that “Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God?”

When people are more God-conscious than self-conscious, they will not take the credit or the glory for what the grace of God accomplishes through them, nor will they compare themselves with other people or what they do. We each have different callings, assignments, and capacities. Do you remember what Moses was told? Different leaders were to oversee groups of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens (Exodus 18:21). Not all of those elders were going to carry the same load; they didn’t all have the same potential.

Likewise, when Jesus taught on stewardship, he referred to the master going on a long journey. “He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities” (Matthew 25:15 NLT). The master in the story didn’t expect the same results from each individual. The master was just as pleased with the servant who started with two bags of silver and gained two more as he was with the one who started with five and gained five more. The key is that both of them had been faithful. He expected similar faithfulness, but not similar outcomes.

I recently had a conversation with Rick Renner that reminded me of the exchange I had with Brother Hagin following the one very special meeting. Rick is one of the highest capacity ministers that I know. He is beyond prolific in his writings, and his TV work and other aspects of his ministry are extensive and expansive. In a recent text, I asked him what he was doing that day — here is part of that thread:

Rick: I just finished my book. It will probably be 360 single-spaced pages.

Me: Outstanding. How many books is that in the last twelve months?

Rick: I think four. Maybe three, but I think four.

Me: That is really remarkable.

[Rick then checked and advised…]

Rick: Okay here it is. In the last year I did my Noah’s Ark book, then I did the RIV of James and Jude. Then I did my Easter book and now I have done this book on healing and I’ve also written the RIV for First and Second Peter which is being edited right now. So it’s actually five books in the past twelve months. Thank you for asking me because I was feeling kind of lazy and that made me feel better.

Then I joked with Rick about his picture being next to the word “overachiever” in the dictionary.

Can you see the parallel I noted? Brother Hagin said he felt like he could always do better (in spite of flowing in a rich and powerful anointing). Rick said he felt like he had been kind of lazy (in spite of producing massive volumes of excellent literary works in addition to carrying on the other facets of his ministry). Neither of these men were glorying in their achievements. Others might look at them and marvel at their accomplishments, but that is not how they were perceiving themselves or what was happening through them.

I wonder how many reading this might think, “If Brother Hagin felt like he could always do better, and if Rick Renner felt like he had been lazy, what hope is there for me for doing anything worthwhile for God?” Here is the beauty of this lesson: You are not Kenneth Hagin or Rick Renner. You have not been called to do what they were called to do. You were not given the assignments or the specific gifts they received. Neither will you be evaluated based on what they accomplished.

You are you. You have a unique calling and assignment from God. You don’t need to measure yourself against or compare yourself to anyone else. The real issue is:

• Are you being faithful to do what God has placed in your hand?
• Are you cultivating your gifts to serve God and others?
• Are you seeking to excel at what God has given you to do?”

God will never ask you if you did what he asked another believer or minister to do. He’s only going to ask if you did what he called you to do. What all of us want to hear one day is the same thing that the master said in Matthew 25:21, 23 (NLT), “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful…”

Should we seek to improve and to be better at what we do? Absolutely. But we don’t need to feel inferior or intimidated if what we are doing seems less than what someone else is doing. Neither do we need to feel prideful or arrogant if what we are doing seems to be more than what someone else is doing. That is absolutely not how God’s system operates.

Paul worked hard, and we should as well, but in the end, he recognized it was God’s grace working in and through him. Consider these two verses:

1 Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV)
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

2 Corinthians 3:5 (NKJV)
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God…

Let’s assure our hearts before him, apply ourselves to heartfelt obedience, and always remember that even as we labor diligently for him, we recognize that it is through God’s grace and enablement that we minister, bless others, and please him.

Additional Thoughts

Even though you may feel like you could always do more or do better, this doesn’t mean that the Lord isn’t pleased with you. Paul encouraged believers, “If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too” (Romans 14:18 NLT). Jesus said of the woman who anointed him in Bethany, “She has done what she could…” (Mark 14:8 NLT). He didn’t say, “She should have done more.”

Likewise, Jesus stated, “if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded” (Matthew 10:42 NLT). The Lord is not a harsh taskmaster who relentlessly demands more and more from his people. He can be pleased with even the smallest expressions of love done in his name.

“Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth” (Proverbs 17:2 NLT). This doesn’t mean that we should go around fishing for compliments or putting ourselves down so others will tell us, “Oh no, you’re wonderful.” In Luke’s account, a centurion was seeking healing for his servant. He said of himself that he was not worthy to have Jesus come to his house or even to meet him, but the friends of the centurion told Jesus, “If anyone deserves your help, he does…” (Luke 7:1-10 NLT). This is an interesting contrast. The centurion wasn’t impressed with his own works, but others were.

There is a difference between boasting and reporting.

• When Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch following their first missionary journey, “they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27 NIV).
• Likewise, at the great Jerusalem Council, Paul and Barnabas “reported everything God had done through them” (Acts 15:4 NLT).
• The psalmist admonishes that we “Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds” (Psalm 105:2 NLT).

If we give the types of reports Paul and Barnabas gave, we should make sure that our heart’s motive is to glorify God and that we are not testifying as a pretext to glorify ourselves. This is why Paul quoted Jeremiah 9:23-24 and told believers, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD” (1 Corinthians 1:31 NLT).

The Lord will lead you with a sense of peace. The devil will drive you with a sense of panic. If the enemy cannot keep you disengaged from the things of God, he will use shame and condemnation in an attempt to push you into compulsive, frantic activity and endless frustration. It is one thing for the Lord to encourage you to “step it up” in an area, and he will always give you the grace to do what he asks you to do. It is an entirely different thing for the devil, acting as harsh taskmaster (see Exodus 5:6-17), to push you harder and harder to meet unrealistic goals, and deceive us into thinking that it is God who is pushing us.

For example, this religious type of spirit will tell you:

• You’re not praying enough.
• You’re not reading your Bible enough.
• You’re not leading as many people to the Lord as so-and-so.
• If you are a lay-person, he’ll tell you that you can’t do anything important because you are not in the fivefold ministry.
• Your church is not as big as someone else’s.
• Someone else’s ministry is bigger than yours.
• What another person is doing is important, but what you are doing is not.
• So-and-so serves in more areas at church than you do.
• You can’t teach/preach as well as someone else.
• You can’t sing as well as so-and-so.
• You’re not as anointed as someone else.

Certainly, the Holy Spirit can lead us to spend more time in prayer or Scripture, or to serve, etc. However, when the Holy Spirit directs, it is not condemnation-based. When the Holy Spirit is leading us, rest and peace will be part of the package.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT).

Take Jesus’ Other Admonition to Heart

Jesus instructed his disciples, “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10 NIV). This does not negate our righteousness in Christ, but it certainly precludes us being egotistic or bragging about our accomplishments. Part of this is because “God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do” (Hebrews 6:10 NLT). You may never feel like you’re doing enough, but serve him with gladness and trust him to help you do all that he’s called you to do.