Maybe you have heard the story, or have watched the movie, or have read the book. Eric Liddell was a missionary to China but before that he was an Olympic sprinter for Scotland. What most people know him for is his refusal to run in the 100 meter heat of the 1924 Olympics because the race was run on a Sunday.  He was favored to win the 100M but chose the 400 meter because it was ran during the week. He won the 400. After the Olympics, he returned to China, the country he was raised in by his missionary parents. In 1943, after sending his wife and children to stay with family in Canada, Liddell was sent to an internment camp. In February of 1945, he would succumb to an undiagnosed brain tumor, aggravated by the harsh conditions and malnourishment he had suffered in the camp.

He is perhaps best known for a quote made famous in the movie Chariots of Fire. We don’t know exactly what he might have said but it was something like this, “I believe that God made me for a purpose – for China. But he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.”  Whether running or taking the gospel to the provinces of Northern China, Eric Liddell was a servant of God.  

Service, servanthood, is a marked characteristic of a disciple of Jesus. Matthew, Mark and John all quote Jesus saying, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

And what is our service based on, what is the motivation for serving. Service comes out of relationship. For some of us we may need to switch our thinking. Service has more to do with your relationship with Jesus than any skill, ability or gift you may possess. “When I run, I feel his pleasure.”  The rest of that Liddell quote is “To give it (running) up would be to hold Him in contempt. You were right. It is not just fun. To win is to honor him.” 

Paul, who may have been a runner in his day, told the Corinthians, “Whether, then, you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 

You see so often we make our life, our coming and going, our daily routine, our job, our family, our schedule all about me and then make my relationship with Jesus an addition to the already busy schedule. And if I can fit in an act of service here and there, bonus points. But understand this – God is not committed to your agenda.  We must align our agenda to his. And that only comes out of relationship with him. A relationship that is built on prayer, that most important part of the relationship.  For it is out of prayer that we discover who God is. And we discover who we are. And we discover that “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

We have mentioned often that the one thing the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to do was to pray. Why? Because they saw that all of the other things he did; miracles, teaching, healing, casting out demons, came out of or were a result of his prayer life – his abiding connection to the Father.

Out of mighty prayer comes mighty works.  

 “When I serve, I feel his pleasure”