Eric Liddell's Unexpected Race

When Eric Liddell arrived at the 1924 Paris Olympics, his plans fell apart. The devout Scottish sprinter had trained for years for the 100-meter dash, but when he learned the heats were scheduled on a Sunday, he withdrew — committing his convictions to the Lord even at the cost of his dream. Critics called him a fool. Newspapers questioned his patriotism.

Then a teammate offered Liddell his spot in the 400 meters, a race Liddell had never seriously trained for. He accepted, placing the outcome entirely in God's hands. Before the race, a masseur slipped him a note with words from 1 Samuel 2:30: "Those who honor me I will honor."

Liddell didn't just win. He shattered the world record with a time of 47.6 seconds, running with his head tilted back and his arms churning in that unmistakable style — a man who looked less like a trained athlete and more like someone carried by a force beyond himself.

What strikes pastors and congregations alike about Liddell's story is not the gold medal. It's what happened next. He spent the rest of his life as a missionary in China, eventually dying in a Japanese internment camp in 1945, still committing every work to the Almighty.

Proverbs 16:3 promises that when we commit our works to the Lord, our plans are established — but often not the plans we originally drew up. Liddell surrendered the race he wanted and received a calling far greater than Olympic glory.