Daily Devo
Going the Extra Mile
By: Keefe Wilson
Saturday, August 9, 2025
"And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two." Matthew 5:41 (NKJV)
While stationed at Kadena AFB, I was appointed as the Customer Service Representative for the medical group. At the time, they had a reputation for poor service, so I was tasked with developing and teaching a class on how to treat customers with care and respect. After praying for guidance, the Lord led me to Matthew 5:41. That verse inspired me to title the new course: "Dare to Care: Going the Extra Mile."
This course trained our staff how to recognize the various levels of customer service, and it challenged them to serve everyone with excellence. As I prepared for class, the Holy Spirit helped me make the connection between the business world and God's Kingdom. In the business world, customers are everything. They are the reason a company either prospers or fails. Businesses invest their time, energy, and resources towards attracting, serving, and retaining customers. Imagine if Christ followers embraced that same mindset, not for profit, but to expand God's Kingdom.
As Christians, every person we encounter is a potential "customer" of The Lord. Not to make a sale, in the sense of someone God wants us to pursue, serve, and retain for Jesus. That's why Jesus' words in Matthew 5:41 challenge us to "go the extra mile" and rise above welcoming someone with minimal effort. God is calling all of us to go above and beyond. He is asking us to go the extra mile to help someone meet Jesus.
When Jesus said, "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two." the people knew exactly what He meant. Under Roman law, soldiers could force civilians to carry their gear for one mile, no matter how inconvenient that might be. Instead of telling them to resist, Jesus told them to go an extra mile! Jesus knew going out of our way for someone allows people to see Christ in us.
Going the extra mile sets us apart. It works in business, and it works in God's Kingdom. But how do we do that? We can get started by recognizing the three levels of service:
- Bare Minimum – Doing just enough to get by (like a believer who has no concern for others).
- Good Service – Kind and somewhat helpful (but only when it's convenient or easy).
- Extra Mile Service – Going above and beyond joyfully (patient and forgiving, serves without recognition, treats people like they were Jesus).
Extra-mile customer service reflects Jesus' attitude. Christ didn't stop at the minimum; He went all the way to the cross. Let's follow Christ by always "going the extra mile" for God!