Are You Willing to Walk the Extra Mile?
Good Morning Friends,
Time is precious but sometimes walking is the way to go….especially if it has a purpose. No I am not writing about charity walks or walking on water. I am writing about believing in a second mile religion. That is what Christianity is all about. The first mile, is loving our neighbors, but the second mile is loving our enemies. The first mile is blessing those who bless us, but the second mile is blessing those who curse us. The first mile is praying for those who pray for us, but the second mile is praying for those who hate us and despitefully use us. There is a limit to the requirement, it is only one mile, but if we think about it, it really makes sense to not disappoint. That is why Jesus compels us to walk a way of life that is different. Are You Willing to Walk the Extra Mile?
Scripture: and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.
Matthew 5:41 (NRSV)
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 (NRSV)
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:30 (NRSV)
They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.
Mark 15:21 (NRSV)
When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.
Genesis 5:21-24 (NRSV)
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.
Luke 24:13-18 (NRSV)
Message: Christ’s life and His teaching was spent in the second mile. He lived with outcasts, prostitutes and tax collectors….those people of the second mile. He walked the Roman roads and saw the stone markers …guide stones placed each 1000 paces. He knew the Roman law that required able bodied men to bear the burden of a Roman soldier for one mile, but no more. In today’s scripture, He uses our natural response to this situation to teach us an important lesson. Jesus knows that no one likes to do someone else’s work. He knows that being compelled can be demeaning and unjust, but Jesus tells us to take the sting out of the situation by being willing to carry the burden with a cheerful attitude. On our walk with Jesus, He teaches us to go the second mile… to turn the other cheek…to swallow pride and abandon self-interest… to be slow to anger and quick to forgive. The beauty of being a Christian is that one never has to walk alone even on a discouraged walk to Emmaus. So today’s message is about a walk that is worthy… a walk in unity, purity, harmony and victory…walking in fellowship with God to the rhythm of our very breathing and the intimate beat of our heart. The image is of Jesus walking with the disciples teaching. The image is of a dedicated Enoch who walked continually with God for 300 years. That is an extra mile walk friends. Friends, go the distance and you might just see Jesus.
Pray we witness in the second mile. Pray we cheerfully sacrifice in the second mile. Pray we grow stronger in the second mile. Pray that in the second mile we experience a breakthrough. Pray we sow seeds in the second mile. Pray the second mile births in us a deliverance and healing that sets us free. Pray we, like Simon of Cyrene, be willing to bear His cross…to bear each other’s crosses… despite the personal inconvenience. Pray we discover the gift of Jesus in the second mile.
Pray that we would walk worthy of the Lord who has called us into His Kingdom. Pray that we would walk humbly with God…regulated by His will, inspired by His Spirit and devoted to His purpose.
Pray that we learn to walk by faith.
Pray that we walk in the light of God’s word and experience the freedom of obedience. Pray that we walk in this way of salvation. Pray that we walk in the light and truth of scripture. Pray that we do not fear the light but allow it to transform our lives on the journey one step at a time. Pray that we walk with other Christians in fellowship on the journey. Pray that we walk in forgiveness and in the promise of God’s purpose in us. Pray we take joy in a healthy walk with God. Pray we remember who’s in charge. Pray we have a humble heart. Pray we pay more attention to our own faults than to the flaws of others. Pray we not hide behind our dignity.
Pray we not focus on ourselves but serve one step at a time.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 