Going the Extra Mile

“And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.”  Matthew 5:41

We’ve all heard the saying about “going the extra mile” as it refers to doing more than you are asked to do.  Some folks don’t really want to go the first mile, much less the second.  They had rather do their own thing and leave others to pitch in and help in a situation or with a project.  Then there are others who are willing to help out but just enough to be able to take some credit for their efforts.  As far as satisfaction goes, they get out about as much as they put in.  There are also a few who will help out but they expect something in return, you know, the “What’s in it for me?” dudes and dudettes.  And then there are those who will help but then lay a guilt trip upon the ones they assist.  They want to remind you of what they gave up to spend time on your need.

Fortunately, I think most folks are more than willing to help others.  None of the attitudes listed above meet Jesus’ standard for a true and sincere servant.  The real servant doesn’t complain about lost time, what he or she had to give up, or what it cost them financially.  They do more than what is required.  They make sure that the need is met, and they don’t expect anything in return.  They don’t want credit, they just want to serve in whatever capacity they can.  Jesus came to serve, and He expects no less from His followers.

It could be that in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic folks are discovering that, as John Donne, the 17th English poet, wrote, “No man is an island, Entire of itself.”  We need each other, especially in times of distress and emotional upheaval.  But more than each other, we need the Lord for when push comes to shove, He is the only One who can be depended on fully.  We have relatives and friends who will help us however they are able, but humans have their limitations.  The Lord, however, is not limited by time, space, power, or inability to come to our rescue.  The Lord also desires for us to help one another.  Many times, He works through others.  I wrote in my blog the other day (Alone Together) about how good it is to have a helping hand and not have to try and solve one’s problems alone.  The “experts” tell us that loneliness is a major problem in today’s world, especially among older folks, and especially now with “social distancing”.  Some folks don’t really need for you to do something for them; they just want a phone call that lets them know that someone cares enough to check on them and ask if there is anything that they need.  There is nothing difficult about that.

I have often wondered why God has left me here on this earth.  I know that it is to glorify Him, but I also believe it is to be a help to others whenever I can.  The way that I look at it, if we can’t be a help to someone, somehow, some place, some time, then we appear pretty useless.  Even the weakest among us have something that they can contribute.  Someone who is old and infirm can pray for others, and that is the most vital thing one can do for another.  Going the extra mile is not that difficult for God will bless our efforts.  The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9 that for “us not (to) be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”  Besides, who knows when we will be the ones who need help.