The Extra Mile

What does it mean to “go the extra mile”?

In Matthew (not me) 5:41, Jesus talks about going the extra mile when asked to go one mile.

To give up our coats when asked to give up our tunics (shirt).

In context, Jesus’ teaching was easily understood and applicable in that time and in that culture, but how does it apply today?

Here are two aspects I have been pondering.

Forgiveness.

I have struggled with understanding forgiveness and what it means for me. I can easily say, “I forgive you,” but saying the words and actually forgiving are not the same.

For me, forgiveness means saying the words AND “releasing,” and there I find my struggle.

For too long, I have harbored, I have remembered, and I have kept a ledger. For me, that is NOT forgiveness. When I pray, focused on forgiving, I also focus on releasing.

Serving.

Going the extra mile means serving, but not in a way that I want to serve; it means serving in a way the other person desires to be served. It is easy to say I will help, volunteer, or lend a helping hand when it is something I enjoy doing or want to do; however, when it isn’t those things, it is too easy to say, “No,” or respond with an excuse as to why I am not available to serve.

Serving means remembering—remembering my “why.” If my “why” is focused on my comfort, needs, and desires, I will not easily see what others in my life need. My “why” is not all about me; it is about loving God and loving others. That means serving in ways they want to be served, and sometimes that means saying, “Yes,” when I really want to say “No.”

How about you? What does “going the extra mile” mean for you?

The bottom-line: may we all ponder, apply, and live out “going the extra mile” in our lives today.