And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. — Matthew 5:41

Going the extra mile is not fun. For our brains that tell us to operate efficiently and seek the greatest reward, the prospect of working harder, going a little farther, staying a little later, is not as appealing. We believe we are essentially putting in more with the result of getting less. But that is not how Jesus saw it. In today’s key verse, using the context of Roman law, Jesus is telling the disciples to exceed expectations, no matter how menial or difficult the task. In those times, Roman soldiers can demand that Jewish boys stop whatever they are doing or working on or where they are going and immediately carry his heavy pack for a mile. As ridiculous as this law was, Jesus told his people to go one more mile.

As the cliche goes, how you do anything is how you do everything. Simply meeting the expectations of your job, customer or other responsibilities makes you average. But we are called to excellence. Excellence requires a second mile. As a leader, when your team sees that you consistently go a second mile in everything you do, they follow and mimic that standard. Your excellence raises the team’s excellence Today, evaluate the areas of your life were you stop short of that second mile? Are you doing just what is required at work and leaving while your teammates are still working on projects? Do you simply give your customer what they ask for? Are you doing the basic requirements of a parent or husband?

List three important areas of your life where you need to begin going the second mile and watch for transformation!

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