LessEffort,MoreJoyWhatisthesecondmile?It’sthedifferencebetweenlivingasagoodpersonandenjoyinglifeasachildofGod.Whenyou“doyourbest“forsomeone,yougothefirstmile.WhenGoddoesHisbestthroughyou,youexperiencethesecondmile.ThiscanhappenonlywhenyouletChristinyoutakeoverandempoweryoutoaccomplishwhatisimpossiblebyyournaturalabilities.Whileothersseeyouonthefirstmile,theyseeChristonthesecond.ThismiraculousChristianlifewilloverwhelmyouwithmoretime,energy,andpeace.Youcan’thelpbutfreelygivemoreaway!BecauseGoddoesnotrewardyourduty,HeblessesyourrelationshipwithHisSon.It’stimetoexperienceradicalliving.It’stimetoenterintothesecondmile!CeasetoStrive...“Ifsomeoneforcesyoutogoonemile,“Jesussaid,“gowithhimtwomiles“(Matthew5:41).Areyouobligatedtoserve...regardlessofamediocreattitude?Areyousupposedtobeexhausted?...SoGodCanThriveAuthorMelBlackabycarefullyunfoldsthetruemeaningofChrist’swordssoyouwillseethatit’snotaboutyou.Whiletheworldseesyourgoodworksonthefirstmile,theyseeChrist’spowerworkingthroughyouonthesecond.Hecarriestheburdenandtakesyoubeyondyourself.Firstmilelivingiscrampedandunsatisfying.Whenyoustridebeyondit,chainsfalloffandfreedomensues.Truerest,fulfillment,joy,andothersurprisingtreasuresbecomeyours--whenyoudaretoembarkuponthesecondmile.StoryBehindtheBook“AsapastorinNorthAmerica,IamamazedbyhowmanyChristiansstrugglewithdepression,anxiety,andstress.Theburdensoflifeoverwhelmthem,andtheypullbackfromservingtheLord,thinkingtheycan’ttakeanymorepressure.WhilevisitingMozambique,Iwenttothehomeofanativepastorwhoalsoworksasecularjobtosupporthislife,hischurch,andanothermissionchurch.Iwasshockedathowlittlehehad.HewasgivinghisalltotheLordandexistingonthebareminimum.AsIconsiderhischallenges,Iamstruckbyhiscontagioussmile.HehastakentheyokeofJesusandlearnedfromHim;hehasfoundrestforhissoulandlivesabundantly;heiswalkinginthesecondmile.IwantGod’schildreneverywheretoknowthesamejoyandprivilegethatcomesfromservingGod.“--MelBlackaby
