God’s Pleasure · 7 June 2025
One of our pastors quoted Eric Liddell in a sermon he gave recently. “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” I wondered to myself, “Is that why I write?”
Eric Liddell was a Scottish runner who won the Olympic gold medal in the 400 meter dash at the 1924 Olympic games in Paris. It was the actor who portrayed him in the movie, Chariots of Fire, who said the famous quote, but it is certain that those words were inspired by Liddell’s actual life. I would like those words to be how I live my life.
When I teach, I feel His pleasure. When I coach, I feel His pleasure. When I write, I feel His pleasure. When I draw, I feel His pleasure. When I live my life, I feel His pleasure.
I am not a pastor. I am not a missionary. I am just a mediocre man or at least somebody striving to become mediocre. I am not like Eric Liddell who knew God’s purpose for him was to go to China. (Actually to go back to China.) I am not that certain about my life. About my purpose. Not completely anyway.
I know that God made me for a purpose. I know that part of that purpose is teaching and coaching. I do not know that I always feel God’s pleasure when I am teaching and coaching, but there have certainly been times when I have. Times when I know that God is watching what I am doing and smiling. Maybe saying, “That’s my boy.” Or at least I am pretty sure that He is smiling and thinking those words. I am hopeful that He is.
It is funny though. There are times when I am writing when I feel like Eric Liddell must have felt. When I am getting some thought out there, I just know that God is smiling. I feel it. I feel the warmth of God’s pleasure. I can almost sense Him patting my back. “Way to go.”
I know that it is probably a silly thought. After all, do I feel it or think I feel it because I remember the line from the movie? Even though it is a movie that I am not sure I have seen? I remember the theme song. I remember some of the trailer. I know much of the premise. And I read or listened to a book about Eric Liddell’s life. About how he did go to China and suffer much hardship. About how he loved China and the Chinese people that he and his parents before him served. And I cannot help but wonder if I just imagine God smiling on me because it is something I want Him to do.
Now, I do believe that I am where I am supposed to be. I believe I am supposed to be a teacher and a coach and a writer. I am just not always sure why. I am not always sure that God’s message did not get messed up in translation. That I missed the message that I was supposed to get. Then I remember.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV)
It is my goal to teach and coach and write and draw as if God is my only audience. I may not be the best at what I do. I may not always do the things I do to the best of my ability. But I can strive to do it all for the Lord. Not because I am under obligation. Not because I can earn His approval. Just because I am grateful that He has adopted me into His family.
God made me the way I am. And even though it was a character in a movie who said it, I am going to continue to write because I can feel God’s pleasure when I do so. In fact, I feel God’s pleasure when I know (or at least am pretty sure) that I am doing what He wants me to do. I hope you do too.
© 2025 Michael T. Miyoshi
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