“If one mile is the minimum, joyfully offer to go a second.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – June 18, 2026
If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Matthew 5:41, NIV
As parents, one of the things my wife and I most consistently try to cultivate in our children is a willingness to serve as a way of life, not simply to do the minimum required or expected. If the extent of their service is limited to chores that are assigned to them or specific tasks requested, then it isn’t a posture of their hearts but is instead a list of duties that simply get in the way of what they actually want to do. There’s a world of difference between “I already took out the trash” and “How else can I help?”
Mercifully, childhood offers a low-stakes environment in which to learn lessons we can carry into life’s most significant moments. The posture of servanthood and self-giving love that a child learns in the home is meant to result in a mature adult who actively gives their life away as a response of gratitude for what they have received from the Lord. They never simply look for the minimum requirement and check it off. If one mile is the minimum, joyfully offer to go a second.
What does this look like in your life? Perhaps the first mile is giving a few bucks to someone asking for help, while the second mile is listening to their story or offering them a ride. One mile is viewing tithing as an obligatory “tax”, whereas a second mile is a lifestyle of generosity, where everything you have is seen as a gift to receive and freely give. Providing for the material needs of your family is the first mile, but leading them deeply into an abiding life with Christ is the second.
When it comes to selfless living, never settle for the minimum. The radical call of Christ is to love when we are hated, embrace when we are wounded, and give more when others take. Difficult though it may be, this is the only path that leads to lasting joy and true freedom. So today, in whatever way you are able, choose to go the second mile.
Prayer
Father, show us the joy and freedom that is found when we embrace the radical call of Christ and truly give our lives away in your name. Amen.
Application
What does it look like for you to go the second mile in your life today?
Related Reading
Luke 6:35; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Galatians 5:13
Worship Resource
Graham Kendrick: The Servant King
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