When I was growing up, it wasn’t cool to be smart or raise your hand to answer questions in class. Students who strove to go a little further became labeled brown nosers and teacher’s pets. As a high school teacher for 10 years, this mentality still exists, present in 90% of the classes I taught. Unfortunately, this negative peer pressure steers some individuals away from over-achieving, leaving it behind for fame, popularity and social status. The end result of this cultural phenomena is a society which does just enough to get by.
In the book of Genesis, there is a boy who fits the brown noser, teacher’s pet stereotype. However, this boy refused to lower his personal standards. Instead, Joseph went above and beyond the expectations of others. Although, his brothers wanted to kill him, despite being sold into slavery and falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Joseph went a little further, Genesis 39:21-23. Inspired by God, Joseph’s work ethic led him to run an estate, prison and eventually the nation of Egypt, Genesis 41:29-30.
During his sermon on the mount, Jesus took this concept one step further in Matthew 5:41-42. When you go the extra mile, you exceed and surpass what a typically person would do. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37, Jesus demonstrates what going a little further resembles: a model of care, compassion and consideration. Furthermore, Matthew 25:35-36 breaks down what an individual can specifically do. Finally, the apostle Paul encloses a prayer within Colossians 3:17, 3:23 to remind Christians of their motivation for going a little further. Pay it forward today!
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 