Don't Dig Your Heels In When God Wants You To Go The Extra Mile

Matthew 5:38-42 & Galatians 6:7-10

Overcome the temptation to dig your heels in when others have let you down

Soul Food

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”  

- Matthew 5:38-42

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” 

– Galatians 6:7-10

Soul Search

• Can you think of a time when you were greatly inconvenienced after having offered to lend a helping hand to someone on an earlier occasion? 

• Can you think of a time when you had been available to give assistance but were turned down and then had the other party come back to you wanting you to drop everything to help them?

• Have you ever felt taken for granted or under appreciated and didn’t want to lift a finger to help the person you understandably felt disrespected by?

• Can you share one or more examples?

Soul Moves

• Often, our desire to not lift a finger to help someone who we felt had disrespected us or not treated us fairly, is a desire rooted in the notion of ‘payback.’
  They hurt us or disrespected us so when they come back needing our help we decide to retaliate by not offering any help.

• It requires a really mature, healthy person to let things go and turn the other cheek, give another jacket and walk an extra mile when one has been wrongfully treated.
  Ask the Spirit of God to help you overcome the desire to pay back the bad and hurtful behavior someone has done to you.
  Keep your eye on the prize that awaits those who do good.