Extra Miles

“If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.” (Matt. 5:41 NLT)

“If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life.” (Matt. 5:41 MSG)

The idiom, “going the extra mile”, comes from this verse. Nowadays, it means to do more than is expected of you.

I’ve always fantasized about running a marathon. I used the word “fantasized” rather than “dreamed” on purpose because there is more pressure to make dreams come true! The most I’ve run at once is 10 kilometers.

Recently, I was talking to a friend who is training to run a marathon next month. He had run 20 miles that day as part of his training. I marveled at how casually he mentioned this amazing feat! Then he said something that caught my attention: “No matter how many miles I run, I find the first 4 miles the most annoying.” He went on to explain how, after the first 4 miles, he gets into a rhythm, the endorphins kick in, and he doesn’t mind the rest of the run!

Well, I wouldn’t know about that! Most days, I quit after the 3^rd mile. And yes, all 3 miles are annoying! Here is the sequence of my thoughts during my regular run:
1^st half-mile- This feels good. I’m so dedicated. I run more than the average person my age.
2^nd half-mile- I have so many other things I should be doing right now. Why am I running around in circles?
2^nd mile- My knee hurts! I probably should turn around before I hurt myself permanently.
3^rd mile- Ok. That’s enough! Everything in moderation. I’m going to go inside and eat a bag of cookies, ‘cuz I earned it!

Some of us might go the 2^nd mile, but most of us are reluctant to go the 5^th mile. We feel like we’ve gone above and beyond what others would do in a similar situation. We get irritated at ourselves for wasting time, for being gullible or idealistic. Our self-preservation instinct kicks in to high gear and we give up…

Maybe the first few miles are annoying because we are operating under our own strength. Once we are completely depleted, then God’s power, in the form of Holy Spirit endorphins, kicks in. We fall into HIS rhythm and the going gets easier. We can go the extra miles through the transcendent grace of God.