Going the extra mile with God is doing a little bit more than what you have to do. Don’t be the kind of person that just does what you have to do, to keep things going. Always be the kind of person that does a little extra. The scripture says “If anybody forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” Matthew 5:14. The person who goes the extra mile always gets the extra result!
There is a parable in the Bible that talks about the Ten virgins: five were wise, and five were foolish. “The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them”. (Matthew 25:1-13). The Amplified Bible says, “They didn’t take any extra oil”.
So, they had oil in their lamps, but they didn’t take any extra oil along with them. “The wise ones, however, took extra oil along with oil in their lamps”, just in case the bridegroom took longer to come than they might have expected.
The foolish just took a chance that he would be right on time, and just the oil in their lamps would be enough. But the wise said, “No, we are going to take some extra along just in case things take a little bit longer than we thought that they would”.
Well, sure enough, “The bridegroom delayed his coming, and they all became drowsy and began to fall asleep”. The foolish only did what could keep things going without anything extra. They did not prepare for any interruptions or delays. It is necessary to do a little bit more than what you have to do to get by in any situation.
People who never prepare for delays are easily late whenever unforeseen incident arises. Let’s just say that it takes you 30 minutes to get to work, if everything is good, if there are no traffic challenge, if there are no weather problems, 30 minutes. So, you have to be at work at 8:00 am and you leave right at 7:30 am. I can almost guarantee that you are going to be late. And you know what’s going to happen when you realize you are going to be late? it’s going to start putting pressure on you.
And that adds stress to your life that you don’t need because you probably already have a high level of stress. And then, when you do get to work, you are going to end up making some excuses. “Traffic was bad. This happened, that happened”.
Well, that’s okay, you know, the first one or two times. But when you have that same excuse over and over again, it gets to the point where people say that it is intentional. But what happens if you would leave at 7:20 am? Well, I understand wanting to wait till 7:30 because you are not the kind of person that likes to get somewhere early, and sit there waiting for others! You want to be the kind of person who would be tempted to leave right at 7:30. That means, you want to learn the hard way!
There is an easy way and a hard way! Don’t learn the hard way. It doesn’t pay to take a chance, on being late. The pressure it will put on you is not worth it, and the excuses you have to make up, are not worth it. So, if you leave at 20 minutes past 7, now you have got a 10-minute window there, that if there is some bad traffic, or if the weather is bad, then you are still going to be able, to get to where you are going on time.
The scripture says, “Man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps”(Proverbs 16:9). I’m asking you to plan a little bit for things that may not go the way you planned. So you are not so shocked or upset when they don’t go your way!
You know, we talk about the promises in the Word of God. But Jesus also made a promise, in (John 16:33), He said, “In the world, you will have tribulation, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world“. Meaning that you may not know where and when some of these tribulations, trials or challenges will confront you, so be ready even when executing your schedule for the day.
We can go the extra mile by thanking God for those things that He protects us from which we may never know about. We can also go the extra mile by Giving a little bigger tip than we would have to, when we eat in a restaurant.
Get to work a little bit early, and stay a little bit late. If you work from 8 am to 5 pm, don’t clock in at 8:01, and leave at 4:59, stay an extra five or ten minutes. You may say, “Well, why should I do that”? Well, because you are the kind of person that goes the extra mile. And you know what? Do it unto God.
Don’t go the extra mile because you want to be noticed by someone, or to be thanked. Do it as unto God. And you know what? When an opening comes for a promotion, you just might be the one to get it, because you have been recognized as somebody who goes the extra mile.
Offer to do things for people, that you don’t have to do. Even when you are in a hotel room, don’t mess up the hotel room because it’s somebody else’s job to clean it up. Well, why shouldn’t you do that? You are an excellent person, who always goes the extra mile.
Clean up a mess that somebody else made and don’t complain; Oh, my goodness, how long did it take me to clean them up? There are little things that we can do to go the extra mile. Here is a good one, be kind to someone who has treated you unjustly. However, you must also know the right time to help out and not to your detriment!
EXTRA MILE FOR PREPARATION!
The scripture says, “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘The bridegroom is coming, come out to meet him’. “The foolish one said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out'”. The unprepared people always go to prepared people and want the prepared people to do for them, what they should have done for themselves. And you know what? That gets tiresome and uninteresting, to say the least.
Stop expecting somebody else to do for you, what you should be doing for yourself. Go the extra mile. ”No,’ they replied, ‘there might not be enough for both of us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. And the virgins who were ready went in to meet him”.
If Jesus comes now, are you ready? “The virgins who were ready went in to meet him”. Let me say it again, if Jesus comes now, are you ready? You know, especially the times we are living in right now. So many people are asking, “Are these the last days? Are we in the end times? You know what? I don’t know for sure. But I’m not worried about it. Do you know why? Because I’m ready whenever He comes. It takes the extra mile to live for God and do His will consistently!
Don’t be the kind of person, when you think Jesus is coming back, you hurry up and try to get ready. Just live ready? Be the kind of person that is always ready and then you won’t have to be concerned about what kind of times, we are living in. Most things take longer than expected. And realizing that could probably happen, is not negative, it’s simply wise planning. Because they had not done what they should have done, they asked the wise virgins to give them some of their oil.
Don’t be the kind of person who always needs somebody else to give you something. But be the kind of person, that’s always got more than enough and ready to give to somebody else. You know, there are so many things that you can do to just go the extra mile. Every time you get something out and use it at home when you are done with it, put it away. It’s just a little thing but it will keep your house so much neater, so much cleaner.
Go the extra mile and make sure that you say, “Thank you,” to people, who do things for you. Use good manners, say, “Please,” say, “Thank you”. Tell people that you appreciate them. Also, when there is strife between you, and someone else or an argument, go the extra mile by being the first one to apologize.
You say, “Well, why should I do that? I don’t think so; I was the one the person wrong”. You know, the Bible doesn’t tell you to forgive and apologize only if you were wrong. It tells us to be peacemakers. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God, the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9) That’s amazing. So many ways that you can go the extra mile. Do a little extra reading in your Bible and memorize the scriptures!
Listen to a little extra teaching, when you are on your way to work. Listen to something that is going to benefit you and add to your life. “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. And the virgins who were ready” met with the bridegroom.
Are you ready to be the kind of person who always goes the extra mile? Well, let me just ask you a question, “What are you doing that is extra? Do extra good things; pray extra than last year, Give more than you have to… Give compliments. Be the kind of person who always does more than enough, and is always ready to do what is required to be done! Be determined to go the extra mile with God, from now onward!
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” (Amen)
