The second mile

While in Memphis a couple of weeks ago, I heard a pastor preach on the scripture:

Matthew 5:41
If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.

The premise behind the message was a challenge….as Christians, do we go the second mile, or do we stop at mile marker one? For example, just accepting Christ is the first mile. Surrendering all to follow and serve, is the second mile.

It made me think about people in my life that represent the second mile…..

·        The three young men who left behind the comforts of home, to reach out to the poor in Haiti.

·        A young man, educated, charismatic and capable who could be in a corner office making his way in the corporate world, but instead, serves teens in a rural county community youth program.

·        A teenager who, instead of sleeping in on Sunday’s, shows up early to church to go through the painstaking process of transforming a gym into a sanctuary.

·        A single mom who could lay down and give up. A hard couple of years could leave her hiding in the corner, licking her wounds, but she continues to fight, serve and lead with battle scars exposed, trusting in God’s assessment of her and her future, not the world’s.

·        A husband who chose forgiveness instead of divorce, chose love instead of leaving and chose commitment instead of coping out.

·        A Savior that didn’t just come to earth to meet and greet us, but trudged up a hill, beaten, bruised and broken to die for me, for you……the Via Dolarosa, the ultimate second mile.

It got me thinking about my own life….where in my life have I chose to stop after the first mile? Are there people in my life I need to forgive? Is there a life that I have determined I am too busy to invest in? Have I hung on to money that I could have donated, given or tithed in faith? Are there times in my marriage that I need to serve just a little more?

Unfortunately, the scripture reference commanding us to go the second mile doesn’t tell us what waits at the end of the trip….I believe that God’s blessings wait for us at the end of the second mile. As believers, let’s ban together and agree to roll up our sleeves, tighten the laces on our hiking boots and go the second mile.

“I think the greatest reward lies on the other side of pain.” – Sarah Palin.