“Whosever compels you to go one mile, go with him two,” Matthew 5:41. Jesus gave us this truth and what an incredible truth it is. William James spoke about what he called, “Our first layer of fatigue,” the great psychologist said: “Most people operate within the limits of this first fatigue; they never really accomplish much. But beyond the first level, there is an inexhaustible power awaiting one who taps it.”
Runners talk about catching the second wind. Just as airplanes can break through the sound barrier, we can break through the fatigue barrier.
Most people go through life, doing only what they have to do. For them, life is hard, they complain of being tired and stressed out. But others go beyond the call of duty and are willing to go the extra mile, they find life to be stimulating, thrilling, and adventurous. In the first mile, you only find duty, but in the second mile, you discover delight! We find little success in life, merely doing our duty, but we will always find success in doing the things we want to do.
It’s in the second mile that we have our finest rewards, in relationships, marriage, and work. A man rented a house, the property had no trees, his wife asked him to plant trees to shade the house, his response was his only duty was to pay the rent, and that’s all! Twenty-seven years he paid the rent. Then one day he bought the house, now it was his, but it still had no trees. He never discovered the second mile, but had he, he would have had grown mature trees to shade the house. Let’s go beyond duty in all we do and discover the second mile of joy.
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