“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. “Matthew 5:41
Jesus had just finished making the famous statement about turning the other cheek. He also talked about what to do when you get sued. Now He talks about being forced to walk.
Being forced to walk one mile is a scene of being bossed around in a bad manner. There is a good chance Jesus was thinking of someone in slavery or bondage to someone else. Either way it is not one a person would enjoy being in.
Mot people have never been forced to walk a mile, but there are other things that people get forced to do extra. Very often in the workplace a person does a good job, only to have the boss come up and request something else to be done at the end of the day. This request is put in a way that if you do not do it there will be some negative repercussions from not doing it. This is being forced to go extra.
Even inside the church this occurs a lot. You help out with working in the nursery for a year and want to stop. The nursery coordinator puts pressure of guilt on you for even thinking about stopping, so you continue. These are examples of being forced to go the “extra mile”.
Jesus tells you to go even a mile beyond what you are forced to go. You are to go above and beyond all that is requested of you.
Every believer in Jesus should be the best worker in any workplace. This is because they will do everything asked of them plus more on top of that.
This will not be easy for you to do unless you have the right mindset. Often you look at the person doing the forcing as the enemy. Change your viewpoint.
First, that person is just another person whom God loves and Jesus died for. He is highly valuable to God and is no different from you.
Second, think about who you work for. Your work should be for God, not the boss or leader. If you do all of your hard work for God, He will bless you. God knows what you can handle and how much you can handle. Trust God.
Are you willing to give the extra mile for God? Jesus did when He died on the cross for you. Do it today for God, not just because you are forced to or just to look good.
I pray today that God will strengthen you to go the extra mile; that you will keep your eyes focused on God; that you will do all that you do for God; that God will fill you with His Holy Spirit to guide you; and that God will use you to build His kingdom.
As 1st degree black belt in Taekwondo. I must go the extra mile many times. Sometimes i get very tired and out of breathe. But that is when i step back and reexamine why i am doing this. And why i care about doing it. Then i push through. Then i think of how much more will i do for God?
One will never know how much one can do for God unless he just does everything God wants him to do. Thanks for sharing.