Go The Extra Mile

        Do you just get by in what you do or are you one that wants it done completely?   I must say that I am not as thorough as I would like to be.  This was a trait that became evident in my construction of model airplanes.  I often just forgot the instructions and went ahead with the assembling.  The result was less than desirable.  There are those who follow the directions explicitly and even add more than what would normally be necessary.  I went to a model train museum in Dover, Ohio.  The man was famous for constructing his trains  in as much detail as possible.  One large engine had been constructed and on its first trip through a tunnel, bent a steam exhaust chimney back almost by 45 degrees.  The model that Werther made had the same detail in his finished piece.   You might say that Werther went the extra mile when he finished a model train.  Matthew 5:40-42 says, "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."  
       The dictionary defines an idiom that says" to go the extra mile" is "To go beyond what is necessary or expected in order to please someone, achieve something, or get something done correctly"  Werther did just that in his models.  The concept though is New Testament.  From Matthew 5 40-42 we see that if we are compelled to go with a person a mile, then go with him two miles.  We are not only meeting someone else's need, we are exceeding his expectation.  I am afraid that the believer of today's culture would not go the first mile, let alone the second one.   You will find that you will come across occasions where you will have the opportunity to "go the extra mile."  On the reverse side, you may also find that are to be the recipient of someone helping you  above and beyond what you wanted in the first place.  It is sometimes good to remember that the Christian life involves people.  It involves people who are living out God's plant for their life just as you are living out God's plan for your life.  Your paths may cross and that is when you can go the extra mile or not participate at all.  We often say that we don't have the time to go the first mile let alone the second.  We can be thankful that God went the extra mile for us.  Absolutely every detail was completed to make your salvation sure.  Praise God for His exactness in your life and the lives of others.