Running for the Right Audience

In the summer of 1924, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell arrived at the Paris Olympics as Britain's fastest man. He was the favorite in the 100 meters. But when he learned the heats were scheduled for a Sunday, he withdrew. The British Olympic Committee pressured him. The press mocked him. An entire nation questioned his judgment.

Liddell knew exactly who he was — and more importantly, whose he was.

He entered the 400 meters instead, an event he had barely trained for. Before the race, a masseur slipped a folded note into his hand. It read: "Those who honor Me, I will honor." It was from 1 Samuel 2:30. Liddell ran with that promise tucked in his palm and crossed the finish line first, setting a new world record.

Years later, a line from the film Chariots of Fire would capture his conviction: "God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."

The world will always try to tell you who you are. Your employer will define you by your productivity. Social media will define you by your platform. Culture will define you by your usefulness. But the God who knit you together in your mother's womb already settled the question.

You are not what you do. You are not what others say. You are who the Almighty declares you to be — His beloved child, made on purpose, for a purpose.

When you know whose you are, no crowd can shake you.