THE EXTRA MILE IN MARRIAGE
One of the shocking statements Jesus ever made holds enough power to
revolutionize your marriage.
He said" "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles."
Have you learned to apply the extra mile principle to your marriage?
Every husband and every wife knows how to walk the first mile. After all,
our relationships couldn't survive without it. The first mile is what we
know we have to do. It is taking the trash out, preparing dinner, or
balancing the chequebook because we said we would do it.
So what's the second mile? At the time Jesus made this statement, the
Roman army had a pesky practice of forcing men and boys who were nearby to
carry its soldier's packs. Being more civilized than other armies, the
Romans limited the task to one mile. And every boy under Roman rule knew
exactly how far that was. In fact, a boy often drove a stake into the
ground precisely one mile from his house as a marker. This way, when a
soldier required the task, the boy would walk exactly a mile down the road
to the stake, set the pack on the other side and be done with it. That was
all he was required and nobody expected more.
Jesus used this illustration to point out that we sometimes do the
same thing in our relationships. We measure out exactly how much is
expected and do just that, nothing more. Let's face it, with our hectic
pace, most of us do just enough to squeak by even in the relationship that
matters most. So, yes, we grumble and take the trash out or whine and make
the meal, but only because we have to. Jesus, however, says there is a
better way -- to do more than the minimum.
The extra mile turns the ordinary into the extraordinary, the
expected into the unexpected. You walk the extra mile for your partner, for
example, when you take the trash out with a smile or prepare a meal with a
special touch. The extra mile turns responsibility into opportunity. When
you're walking the extra mile in marriage your attitude shifts from "have
to" to "want to." That's why the apostle Peter said, "Offer hospitality to
one another without grumbling" (1peter 4:9).
Common courtesy is an example of the extra mile in marriage. It
sounds funny, but courtesy isn't so common after even a short period of
marriage. We take "thank you" and "you're welcome" for granted. We
forget to say "please" at the table. The apostle Paul understood the
importance of this principle in our relationships. He urges us to be kind
and loving toward one another (Gal. 5:22).
So practice the extra mile in your marriage. It is more powerful than
dynamite. Try it.
One of the shocking statements Jesus ever made holds enough power to
revolutionize your marriage.
He said" "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles."
Have you learned to apply the extra mile principle to your marriage?
Every husband and every wife knows how to walk the first mile. After all,
our relationships couldn't survive without it. The first mile is what we
know we have to do. It is taking the trash out, preparing dinner, or
balancing the chequebook because we said we would do it.
So what's the second mile? At the time Jesus made this statement, the
Roman army had a pesky practice of forcing men and boys who were nearby to
carry its soldier's packs. Being more civilized than other armies, the
Romans limited the task to one mile. And every boy under Roman rule knew
exactly how far that was. In fact, a boy often drove a stake into the
ground precisely one mile from his house as a marker. This way, when a
soldier required the task, the boy would walk exactly a mile down the road
to the stake, set the pack on the other side and be done with it. That was
all he was required and nobody expected more.
Jesus used this illustration to point out that we sometimes do the
same thing in our relationships. We measure out exactly how much is
expected and do just that, nothing more. Let's face it, with our hectic
pace, most of us do just enough to squeak by even in the relationship that
matters most. So, yes, we grumble and take the trash out or whine and make
the meal, but only because we have to. Jesus, however, says there is a
better way -- to do more than the minimum.
The extra mile turns the ordinary into the extraordinary, the
expected into the unexpected. You walk the extra mile for your partner, for
example, when you take the trash out with a smile or prepare a meal with a
special touch. The extra mile turns responsibility into opportunity. When
you're walking the extra mile in marriage your attitude shifts from "have
to" to "want to." That's why the apostle Peter said, "Offer hospitality to
one another without grumbling" (1peter 4:9).
Common courtesy is an example of the extra mile in marriage. It
sounds funny, but courtesy isn't so common after even a short period of
marriage. We take "thank you" and "you're welcome" for granted. We
forget to say "please" at the table. The apostle Paul understood the
importance of this principle in our relationships. He urges us to be kind
and loving toward one another (Gal. 5:22).
So practice the extra mile in your marriage. It is more powerful than
dynamite. Try it.
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