The Gold Obedience Wins

In the summer of 1924, Scotland's fastest man arrived in Paris carrying the hopes of an entire nation. Eric Liddell was the heavy favorite to win the 100-meter dash at the Olympic Games — until he discovered the heats were scheduled on a Sunday.

For Liddell, Sunday was the Lord's Day. Running was not worship. So he withdrew.

The backlash was swift. Newspapers called him a traitor. The Prince of Wales pressured him to reconsider. His own teammates struggled to understand. But Liddell had made his peace. The film Chariots of Fire captures his spirit in a line that has endured: "God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."

He entered the 400 meters instead — not his strongest event — and that July he crossed the finish line first, setting a world record of 47.6 seconds.

What struck those who knew him wasn't the gold medal. It was the calm. There was no bitter regret, no tortured second-guessing. Obedience had cost him one race and given him a peace no trophy could manufacture.

We often treat obedience as the thing that holds us back — the conviction that costs us something we wanted. But Liddell's story reminds us that obedience to the Most High is never a detour from our calling. It is the race itself.

What is God asking you to surrender this season? The One who made you fast enough to run also knows exactly which race was made for you.