Acknowlege It or Live It?

   I have a tag on the bottom of all my emails that says that the second mile has no traffic jams. In other words, do more than is expected, or required, and you will not be jostled about and inconvenienced by others on that road.

   Of course, the reference is to the verse in Matthew's gospel that talks about the requirement of a Jew in Palestine, in the days of the Roman occupation, that forced a man to carry the equipment of a Roman soldier for a mile if commanded. The natural inclination was for the one forced into this service to do it grudgingly, and resent the soldier and the rule, but Jesus admonition was to not only obey the rule, but to go beyond it. I can see in the attitude that Jesus wants us to have, that He would expect the Jewish person to be cheerful about doing the job and to be engaging in his contact with his occupier, along with performing the job required.

   This Roman rule was a reminder of the Jew's status in his own country. I'm sure the average person would go out of their way to avoid contact with the occupying force, so as to not have to perform the task, and it would be an out-of-the-ordinary event if he had to do it.

   So, how does that relate to me? I understand the principle of doing your best, complying with the law, being cheerful in spite of the circumstances, going above and beyond in those extraordinary situations, but I think there may be something more.

   What about those everyday, ordinary, times that I have, just living life each day? Could it mean that I need to not forget the second mile principle there either? Do I have to live that way, or just screw up my resolve for those special times? Is that a possible lifestyle, or just when I read the tag on the bottom of an email?

   Should I write it in permanent ink on my hand?

   My prayer today is that God would help me to make the "second mile lifestyle" real in my life, not just in special situations, but in all of life's more mundane moments.