Rockwall, TX (August 14, 2024) – My husband and I have competing interests when it comes to long-distance drives. In his destination-driven perspective, the goal is to arrive as soon as possible. My own travel preference is to slow down and explore—stop and smell the roses, or the barbecue.
When it comes to life in general, we might all agree that joy should be part of the journey. Yet, when it comes to faith, setting our sights on heaven and the One who invites us there should guide our many decisions along the way.
We so easily fall into the world’s way of thinking, defining success in terms of personal gain and notable accomplishments. Yet, overly ambitious goals for ourselves or our children only distracts us from serving God and others.
With today’s steamroller of pressure to do something monumental, it’s no wonder we can feel suffocated by stress and anxiety. We might fear that we (or our children) can’t afford to let a desirable opportunity pass.
The cure for such anxieties could lie in both rethinking our life goals and choosing to be fruitful in whatever place we find ourselves, regardless of what the world thinks.
A clear life purpose directed the mindset of Christ—the most out-of-this world person who ever walked the earth. During his three years of ministry, Jesus chose who, when and where to visit based on one goal: “I always do the things that are pleasing to [the Father]” (John 8:291).
That desire ultimately led Jesus to lay down his life by following his Father’s will, not his own. His sacrifice was for our sake, to pay for our sins. So, it’s fitting that he expects us to take up our cross and follow him (Matthew 10:38)—to lay down our will and plans in order to serve God’s purposes. Jesus’ paradoxical promise follows in verse 39, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
The Paris Olympics of 1924—one hundred years ago—included a Scottish athlete who viewed his running ability as a gift to be used for God’s glory. Eric Liddell, competing for Great Britain, sacrificed running in the qualifying heat for the 100-meter-race, his best event, because of his conviction to honor the Sabbath. Days later, he won bronze in the 200-meter and then gold in the 400-meter race—setting a new world record.
Two days after returning from the Olympics, Liddell graduated from the University of Edinburgh. Afterward, though he hated public speaking, he accepted a deluge of invitations to share his faith across Scotland in evangelistic rallies that drew people who might not have attended otherwise.2
The following year, Liddell gave up “his life”—his national fame—to become a missionary to China. He planned to teach science, math, and sports at an Anglo-Chinese college established to bring the gospel to China’s future leaders.
Liddell spent the rest of his life serving others, even during his final years while confined in an internment camp after Japan invaded China during World War II. Yet his joy remained as he “threw himself heart and soul into his work and volunteer activities.”2
“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world,” Jesus said of his disciples (John 17:14). Living with the goal of glorifying God and making Christ known to others will not exclude sacrifice and suffering. But, as Liddell’s life demonstrated, it adds meaning and joy to our journey.
1All scriptures from ESV
2From 7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness, by Eric Metaxas
By Patti Richter. Patti writes and edits Christian faith articles and has co-authored Signs of His Presence: Experiencing God’s Comfort in Times of Suffering (March 2019). Read more of her essays at blueribbonnews.com/category/faith.
Patti Richter, On Faith: An Out-of-This-World Way of Living added by Melanie M on
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