Go the extra mile

Try to picture this: you’re in a restaurant with someone whose meal costs $15.00, and you’re watching them struggle over the tip. They have $2.00 left over, and they know that a 10 percent tip is considered the very minimum. They waste five minutes getting change for that second dollar so they can leave a $1.50 tip rather than leave a little extra. What would have happened if they had left the full $2.00? They may have made the waiter’s or waitress’s day. Fifty cents may not seem like much, but the message that goes along with it can mean the world of difference to someone, especially if they’re having a rough day. It says, “Thanks, you did a good job, I appreciate you, you’re valuable.” Maybe the message gets lost – your server just sweeps up the tip without counting – but God blesses you for doing it anyway. “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV). Think about it: you can increase the happiness of others and bless yourself with mere pocket change. This is just one tiny example of the many ways in which the small things we can do have surprisingly big repercussions. Small acts of kindness set the tone for your day. Going the extra mile – whether it’s a slightly larger tip or an unexpected compliment or gift – costs very little and gets you a lot. And here is an important thought: we can have mountain-moving faith, understand and explain all the deep doctrines of the Bible, and get top marks for personal holiness, yet God’s Word says that without love, we are “nothing” (see 1 Corinthians 13:2).