Running Free in the Right Lane

On July 11, 1924, Eric Liddell stood at the starting line of the 400 meters in Paris — a race he was never supposed to run. Months earlier, Liddell had stunned the British Olympic Committee by withdrawing from the 100 meters, his signature event, because the heats fell on a Sunday. The pressure was immense. Newspapers called him a traitor. Officials begged him to reconsider. Even the Prince of Wales weighed in.

Liddell would not budge.

So there he stood, entered in an event he had barely trained for, while the world shook its head. When the gun fired, Liddell ran with his head tilted back, mouth wide open, arms churning in that unorthodox style coaches had tried to fix for years. He crossed the finish line in 47.6 seconds — a world record — and took the gold medal.

What looked like limitation was actually liberation. By refusing to let the crowd define his race, Liddell discovered a freedom most athletes never taste. He later said, "God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."

Paul wrote to the Galatians, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." The world will always tell you which race to run. The crowd will always have an opinion. But the deepest freedom comes when you stop running for their approval and start running for the One who made you.

That is when you finally feel His pleasure.