Running for a Different Prize

In 1924, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell arrived at the Paris Olympics as the favorite in the 100 meters. But when he learned the heats were scheduled for a Sunday, he withdrew. The press called him a fool. His own teammates pressured him to compromise. He refused.

Liddell switched to the 400 meters, a race he had barely trained for. Before the final, a masseur slipped a note into his hand. It read, "Those who honor Me, I will honor" — from 1 Samuel 2:30. Liddell ran with that scrap of paper folded in his fist.

He won gold in world-record time.

But here is what matters most. Liddell did not run to win. He ran because he understood his purpose. After the Olympics, he left fame behind entirely. He went to China as a missionary, served in Japanese internment camps during World War II, and died there in 1945, giving his rations to others and teaching children to play sports in the dust of a prison yard.

The world remembers the gold medal. God measured something else — a man who knew exactly why he was alive.

Paul wrote to the Philippians, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Purpose is not about crossing the finish line first. It is about running the race the Almighty set before you, even when every voice around you says to run a different one.

What race has God marked out for you?