Going the Extra Mile
By Karen D’Amore
“And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.”
Over
the past two years, I’ve used the same training regimen to prepare for multiple
half-marathons. As each race grows closer, I steadily increase my mileage by
running three to five miles, four days a week, and completing a longer run one
day a week. Each week, I increase the distance of the long run by one extra
mile. The purpose is to gradually condition myself to push beyond my comfort
zone and build the endurance to run 13.1 miles. That weekly extra mile becomes
a physical and mental challenge, as everything inside of me wants to stop and
quit at the point where I still feel comfortable.
Recently,
while trudging reluctantly through that extra mile on my scheduled long-run
day, I thought of the concept of going the extra mile, which means “to exceed
others’ expectations”! I was challenged to consider how “going the extra mile”
would/could impact various aspects of daily life. What would going the extra
mile look like in our neighborhoods, our
marriages, schools, our jobs, our relationships with family and friends…and our
relationships with the unsaved?!
Within
the context of our key verse (Matthew 5:41), we find an exhortation to be
others-focused versus our natural (flesh-driven) tendency to be self-focused.
As believers living in a world that is self-centric, being others-focused sets
us apart and becomes a pivotal platform to reflect the love of Jesus. Jesus
expounds on this concept in John 13:35: “By this everyone will know that you
are my disciples, if you love one another.” When honoring Jesus becomes our
primary purpose, exercising sacrificial love is a vibrant strategy for pointing others to Him.
We’re
instructed in Colossians 3:23, “Work
willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather
than for people.” When we adopt this mindset, we recognize that everything we
do becomes an act of service for Jesus. We glorify Him by loving the unlovable,
giving of our time and talents even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable,
and doing those things that benefit others rather than ourselves.
God’s
plan of salvation included Jesus’ going the “extra mile” throughout His entire ministry…all the
way to the cross. His sacrificial death on that cross provided forgiveness from
sin and eternal life for those who believe in Him. Let’s strive to follow His
example by dying to self…going the extra mile...living/loving sacrificially…so
others might come to follow Jesus, as well.
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
In what ways can you exceed others’ expectations as you shine for Jesus?
Married to Dan, Karen, a retired
police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon and as an
instructor in the Cosmetology Department at WCTC. Karen also serves on the
Welcoming Team at Oakwood.
