Would You Have Raced in the Olympics?

I have most recently been reading through a book written by Eric Metaxas entitled Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness. Throughout this book, he provides short biographies of seven men who made a remarkable impact on the world. This list of men includes prominent men who are well-known by most people, such as George Washington, Jackie Robinson, and William Wilberforce. However, I was admittedly unfamiliar with one man on the list: Eric Liddell.

Eric Liddell was born in 1902 in Tientsin, China, to James and Mary Liddell, who were then missionaries to China. The Liddells, desiring to give their children a formal education, sent them to their home country of Scotland. Here, young Eric took a tremendous interest in sports, excelling in rugby and cricket. He also engaged in another athletic activity: Running. Remarkably, this Scottish man possessed world-class speed.

What Liddell is so respected for occurred at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. Because of his impressive speed, Liddell would compete in the 100-meter race, and many believed that he had a realistic possibility to win the race. His country of Scotland had never won a gold medal in the Olympics, and, thus, his fellow countrymen were exceedingly enthusiastic about his chances of bringing prestige to Scotland. Amazingly, Eric Liddell opted not to run in the race. Why? Because the race was to be held on Sunday, the Lord's day, which violated his faith. Scottish people were angry and vociferously voiced their disapproval, but he remained resolute in his decision to honor God instead of winning a competition.

How firm are you in your convictions? If you had been in Liddell's shoes, with a legitimate shot at winning a gold medal for a country that had never had those honors, would you have raced for the prize? Or would you have done as Liddell did, standing firm in your convictions instead of charging ahead with emotion? Let us adopt the determination of Eric Liddell. If you believe that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, live like it. If you believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who died on the cross for the sins of the world, live like it. Abide by your faith, and God will reward you in ways that cannot be quantified by human measurements.

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