![]() ![]() There is something awe-inspiring about watching St. ![]() We can’t help but be dazzled as we watch an Olympic sprinter run a blazing 100 meters in under 10 seconds or see Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon knock down nine consecutive three-point shots. Some coaches have taken the pursuit of excellence to the extreme, cursing and screaming at their players over even the smallest mistakes.Īs spectators we are also enraptured by excellence. Every player is in search of the “perfect swing” or the “perfect shot” or even the “perfect season.” Day in and day out players push their bodies to the limit in an effort to sharpen their athletic skills. A thanksgiving turkey roasted to golden-brown perfection receives our emphatic praise.Įverywhere you look people and companies are engaged in the passionate pursuit of excellence, and nowhere is this more clearly displayed than in the arena of sports. Our hearts are captivated by the glorious strains of music created by a symphony. We can’t help but gaze in wonder at a masterful piece of artwork. There is something in us that is irresistibly drawn toward excellence. Sports are clearly gifts from God to us.īut why is it that we feel such joy in sports? What is it that brings us to our feet when we see a basketball player soar through the air for a rim-rocking dunk? What is it that makes us smile when we smash a golf ball down the fairway? Why is there such pleasure in playing touch football in a muddy backyard with our friends? Throughout this chapter we’ll consider these questions so that we might enjoy the gift of sports in ways that please and honor God. Have you ever experienced that wonderful sense of pleasure of which Eric spoke? Have you ever had that feeling of glory, of being incredibly alive, that comes from playing sports? When all your muscles are working together and your heart is pounding like a hot rod engine and every sense is sharpened? It’s a glorious thing. He viewed his speed as a gift from God to be thoroughly enjoyed. When Eric ran, he sensed God’s pleasure! Speed was God’s gift to Eric, and Eric took immense pleasure in that gift. Chariots of Fire, Warner Brothers Pictures, 1981 Warner Home Video, 1992. ![]() I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. In the classic movie Chariots of Fire, Eric makes the following profound statement: For Eric, running wasn’t about getting in shape or losing weight. Eric was a runner, a blazing fast runner, and he knew that it was God who made him fast. As I feel the wind blowing against me and see the pavement gliding beneath me, I begin to experience pleasure along with the pain.Įric Liddell would have understood. Running brings a sense of freedom, as if I’m throwing off restraints. By the end of the run I usually have two main concerns: Either my heart is beating with such intensity that I’m concerned it might burst and I will die, or I cannot fill my lungs with enough oxygen to keep me from passing out and/or dying.īut there is also something very pleasurable about running. ![]()
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