Second Mile People

     Much to my surprise, I find myself an experienced volleyball coach. I now have over ten years of coaching under my belt when I never had any intent to become one in the first place. In those ten years I have discovered a fairly easy way to tell which players were never going to be much more than average players and which ones were going to excel, and it may not be something you would expect. Most beginning players will only do the minimum amount of work necessary to get to a position where they can just barely stretch and reach the ball. The difference comes as they gain experience, the ones that are going to develop beyond merely average learn to do the extra work, go the second mile, to beat the ball to where it is going and be waiting for it when it gets there. The ones that will never be more than average never learn to do that.

     As Christians, we are called to do much the same. It is easy to get comfortable and just slide along just doing the bare minimum. Why not? It's easy, it's comfortable, and it doesn't require much effort, but it also doesn't lead to much growth. We shouldn't be the same Christian today that we were 10 years ago, 5 years ago, or even last week. We should be pushing ourselves forward, out of our comfort zones and doing things we never thought we would be doing. We need to be "second mile" Christians. Jesus said it this way,

             

38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’[a] 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile,[b] carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[c] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![d] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[e] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:38-48 NLT