His Pleasure

I was reminded the other day of what it means to find pleasure. To delight in something, to know the joy and blessing that it brings. And it all came from a movie.

My sister and I watched for the first time "Chariots of Fire". I knew it was the story of Eric Liddell but I didn't know that a film could effect my soul so much. It wasn't the story, (even though I'm an Olympic freak, ask anyone who knows me well), it was the testimony. It wasn't that Eric refused to run on Sunday and it made international headlines. It was the pleasure on his face when he ran.

Eric Liddell had a unique running style. A style that would cause any Olympic runner of our day to hang his head and be ashamed to be associated with such a runner. In the last 100 meters of any race he would run, Eric would throw his head back, open his mouth, widen his eyes, and then flail his arms right before he crossed the finish line. Scientifically, logically, anyway you look at it, his form from a human perspective, is ludicrous. His eyes weren't focused on the finish, his form had no control, and because of the demand he would put on his body, it caused him to cross the finish line in exhaustion. Yet, Eric Liddell never lost a race.

Why? What made Eric win? I think he knew the secret.

I believe with all my heart that when Eric threw his head back he could see Jesus. I think his mouth was open, and eyes were wide because he was in awe of the beauty of the Lord. And when his arms flailed about, I think it was because he had given complete control over all that he was to the One he delighted in. And when he crossed the line in physical exhaustion, his spirit could not have been more strong, because when he ran, He SAW THE LORD!

Eric Liddell did not run for an Olympic gold medal. He didn't run for his country. He ran because he could do NOTHING else. He wanted to see and feel his Lord. He ran because he felt His joy, His delight, His pleasure. My favorite quote from the movie is from Eric himself. His sister didn't understand why he was running instead of going to China. He tells her that he knows his life is in China, but at that time he had to be obedient to the Lord and run. I believe the Lord wanted to use Eric as a living testimony of what we all can know and discover. Eric made much of His Lord, and because of it he could say, "When I run, I feel HIS pleasure!".

I believe that Eric won because the power of the Lord came over him when he ran. He didn't lose because his running was a testimony of His spiritual life. Eric could not lose because Jesus had already won. His races were a picture of his life, his delight, his Jesus.

It reminds us as children of God that we are also running a race. Not one that the Lord desires just for us to focus on the finish, to train for, live, breathe and eat. And even though that's all a part of it, it's a very small part. The race of life should be where we can throw our heads back, with eyes wide, mouths open, and be so filled with His pleasure that the race itself is meaningless. Because then the race becomes all about HIM. That He may be made much of.

May we all follow in the steps of this servant. May we all make much of Him and pursue the pleasure of the Lord.

For we were made for HIS pleasure.