Eric Liddell was a devout Christian who refused to run his favored 100-meter race because a qualifying round fell on the Sabbath. Instead, he went on to win a gold medal in the 400 meters. Made famous by the Oscar-winning movie Chariots of Fire, Liddell defied the odds, winning the race with a world-record performance of 47.6 seconds. This performance is usually attributed to Liddell treating the race as a dead sprint, running all 400 meters as fast as he could. When asked about his victory, he said, “I run the first 200 meters as hard as I can. Then, for the second 200 meters, with God’s help, I run harder.”

Exodus 30-31 – Priority Check

While Eric Liddell is one of the most heroic Christian athletes, ultimately dedicating his life to missionary work, his choice to refuse to run on the Sabbath raises an important question: “Is the Sabbath relevant today?” As God concluded His instructions for the Tabernacle in Exodus, His final teaching reminded Israel not to work on the Sabbath. This was undoubtedly the foundation for Liddell’s decision not to run on that day.

I believe the Old Testament regulations governing Sabbath observances are ceremonial rather than moral aspects of the law. The New Testament never instructs Christians to observe the Sabbath. In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul explicitly calls the Sabbath a shadow of Christ, which is no longer binding since the substance (Christ) has arrived. This doesn’t imply that I approve of families routinely skipping church for youth sports. The Bible instructs us not to forsake assembling as believers (Hebrews 10:25), but I don’t provide a specific guideline on how many days you can miss church. However, I have warned parents that if their children frequently miss church, it’s easy for them to perceive the church or Christian faith as less significant than sports. If a family’s calendar prioritizes sports over everything else in terms of their time and resources, what other conclusion could they draw?

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete believe spirituality isn’t merely keeping external rules, but maintaining an inner relationship with Jesus Christ as their top priority.