Go The Extra Mile For Those You Serve

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest…When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” Mark 6:31-34 NIV

How passionate are you about what you do?

Answering this question doesn’t require so much soul-searching. Just check that little extra you often put into the work, even when you don’t have to. This is how I’m able to identify when passion is non-existent in what I’m doing.

We’ve all been called to serve. The capacities, magnitude or method may be different, but every man has his audience.

Service in itself requires selflessness, sometimes to a degree that occasionally deprives you of other desires. This is why it’s never right to be quick to judge a man who always seems extra.

• He puts in extra time.
• He does what others want to ignore.
• He strives for excellence even when the prevalent culture settles for mediocrity.
• He puts the needs of others before his.

Yes, balance is definitely required. Even Jesus Christ didn’t always sacrifice His time of solitude. But the opening scripture explains one thing:

The compassion you have for those you serve will push you to make sacrifices others aren’t willing to.

If the word “sacrifice” seems foreign to you…if you haven’t yet felt compassion for any cause, then it means you’re yet to identify those you’re called to serve.

What is that subject you can’t stop talking about? I have a friend who whenever she talks about the economic problems, never fails to trace it back to how it affects the education of young children. These are the people she’d make the ultimate sacrifice for. I on the other hand may not be willing to.

It’s not enough to just have compassion for a cause. You must also have a passion for the method of execution. If the method doesn’t leverage your strengths, that compassion will be negatively affected until the method is changed.

Jesus didn’t need to be a Lawyer in order to spread his message. He was fine being whom He was, using His gifts to serve.

When your passion and method align, going the extra mile and making sacrifices become easier.