Matthew 5:40“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41″Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

Going the second mile is not about you fulfilling a religious requirement. Going the second mile is about ministering to the person who is in need. Going the second mile allows you to share with others the same grace and mercy that Christ has shared with you.

The example Jesus gave of the Good Samaritan teaches us how to love others as ourselves. Jesus tells how the Samaritan did not just pull the man out of the ditch, he also gave him a ride, rented a hotel room, nursed him back to health. The Good Samaritan went above and beyond what was expected. The Samaritan went the second mile. Jesus told this story in an attempt to explain how you must obey the second greatest commandment in the word of God. Loving your neighbor as yourself requires you to go the second mile.

A few weeks back my daughter and I were at the kitchen table eating breakfast and I heard the garbage truck coming. You know you’re in trouble if you miss the pick up. I grabbed Stella and tried to get my bags in the trash can so I could roll it out to the curb. The truck was about two houses down from me so I knew I had to hurry. About the time I was going to grab the can, the young man working the truck had sprinted to my driveway, took my can and dumped it for me. He then returned my can to its storage place beside my house. I was blown away by his help. Do you know what he did? He went the second mile. He did not know my name. He gets paid the same either way, but in that moment he went out of his way to help me out. He went the second mile.

Today’s Challenge: God’s people should be second mile people. Going out of our way should be a way of life if we want to make a Christ-like impressions on our culture. Pray that today Jesus will be seen in your life as you go the second mile for others.