Feeling His Pleasure ∙∙
God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. – Philippians 2:13
Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace – who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood – may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.
Chariots of Fire: Two Visions of Life Itself
Chariots of Fire, which premiered on April 9, 1982, tells the compelling story of two elite British athletes as they prepare for and compete in the 1924 Olympic Games. It transcends the boundaries of a traditional sports film. It asks larger questions about what drives us, where true power comes from, and whether the deepest longings of the heart.
At the heart of the film are two very different men, Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell. They are not simply two athletes, but two visions of life itself.
Harold Abrahams
Harold Abrahams is portrayed as a gifted athlete driven by ambition, discipline, and a desire to win. Victory is not merely important to him; it is everything. Running becomes the center of his identity, and his drive is fueled by both talent and pain. His inner conflict is captured in the line, “If I cannot win, I will not run.”
Abrahams is presented as a troubled man, marked by feelings of alienation, isolation, and discrimination because of his Jewish heritage. His race is not only against other competitors, but also against his own fears, wounds, and sense of exclusion. His struggle is poignantly reflected in the sentiment, “I am invited to the table but denied the drink.” That image captures the anguish of being outwardly welcomed while inwardly rejected.
Eric Liddell
Eric Liddell stands in sharp contrast as a man of faith whose life is ordered by devotion to family, country, friends, and above all, to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. Liddell does not view his athletic skill as a platform for self-glory, but as a gift entrusted to him by the Father. He recognizes that his ability comes from God, who strengthens and equips him for the race set before him.
His perspective is most memorably captured in the well-known statement, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”
The Duke of Sutherland observes, “The lad is a true man of principles and a true athlete. His speed is a mere extension of his life, its force.” His athletic skill was intertwined with his spiritual life; it reflected his inner soul. For him, strength was linked to faith, and guidance emerged from devotion to Christ. Consequently, his running was not about exalting himself but about being in harmony with the Father, honoring His will.
Created for the Father’s Purpose
Many children of the King struggle to understand the Father’s place in their lives. When that understanding is unclear, it is easy to adopt a shallow or distorted view of Him. Some imagine the Father as a gentle, grandfatherly figure whose role is to comfort us, satisfy our desires, and make our wishes true. Although He is undeniably loving, generous, and compassionate, He does not exist to revolve around us. We were created for Him, not He for us.
Recognizing this truth is both sobering and freeing. It corrects self-centered assumptions while opening the way to a deeper understanding of who we are. Our lives are not accidental, and our purpose is not self-defined. Every part of our being has been shaped intentionally by the Father’s hand. Long before we entered the world, He determined the good works, responsibilities, and opportunities through which we would serve His will.
For that reason, each child of the King has been uniquely formed for a particular place in His work. Our abilities, life experiences, and callings are not random; they are part of the Father’s design. He equips each of His children to participate in what He is doing.
Ephesians 2:10: “We are His workmanship. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Our deepest satisfaction comes from discerning what the Father is doing and joining Him in it. When we serve as we were created to serve, we experience joy, clarity, and wholeness. In doing His pleasure, we come to feel His pleasure.
REFLECT & PRAY
Children of the King should pray that each of us would be prepared to carry out the Father’s will faithfully and fruitfully.
Father, You are the Potter, and I am Your clay. You molded me to participate in Your work on earth. Fill my heart with joy in Your will and shape my life so that it reflects Your good pleasure. Reveal to me where I seek self-validation instead of walking in the path You have laid out for me.
INSIGHT
Equipped for His Will
The Father does not call His children to serve Him without also providing what they need. He supplies the strength, grace, and spiritual formation necessary for obedience. Through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, He works within us to produce what pleases Him.
Hebrews 13:21: “May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.”
The Greek term for “equip” is katartizo, a word that carries the sense of “preparing, restoring, mending, or making something fit for its intended purpose.” The word was used in settings such as mending nets or setting bones, both of which suggest restoration for useful service.
When he prays, the writer of Hebrews is not trying to persuade the Father to become involved in our lives. Rather, he is praying in harmony with what the Father already desires. His prayer is that the Father’s will would be carried out on earth just as it is in heaven, in the lives of His people. Because we are His workmanship, the Father is committed to bringing His purpose to completion in us.
He heals what has been broken so that we may walk uprightly. He repairs what has been torn so that we may once again be useful in His service. He strengthens what is weak so that we may endure difficulty and trial with steadfastness. He matures us so that His work may be accomplished in us and through us in a manner that pleases Him.
As Wiersbe observes, the Father equips His children much like a physician setting broken bones, a fisherman repairing torn nets, or a commander preparing soldiers for battle. Each image points to the same reality: the Father does not abandon His people in weakness but prepares them for the work He has called them to do.
The Father’s Provision
The Father not only gives purpose; He supplies what is needed when it is needed. His provision is not excessive, but it is always sufficient for the work He intends us to do.
2 Corinthians 9:8: “God will generously provide all you need. Then, you will always have everything you need, and plenty left over to share with others.”
This promise does not imply that every believer will experience material wealth. Instead, it means that God supplies what is necessary for each good work to those who walk in obedience and generosity. His provision is deliberate; He gives so His people can serve Him and share His grace.
Eric Liddell understood this well. He knew what it was to feel the Father’s pleasure while fulfilling his assignment. He also saw that earthly success is never the ultimate goal. As he said, “It has been a wonderful experience to compete in the Olympic Games and to bring home a gold medal. But since I have been a young lad, I have had my eyes on a different prize. You see, each one of us is in a greater race than any I have run in Paris, and this race ends when God gives out the medals.”
Grace-Giving and Immediate Blessing
One of the clearest New Testament expressions of God’s provision appears in the context of giving. The Father does not merely provide for personal survival; He provides so that His people may be channels of generosity.
2 Corinthians 9:9-13:
“As the Scriptures say, ‘They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.’ For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving: the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.”
The image is practical and beautiful. God gives seed to the sower and bread for food. He provides what sustains life and what can be sown for future fruitfulness. In the same way, He enriches His people so that they may give generously. Their giving meets genuine needs, strengthens the community of faith, and leads others to thank God.
The child of the King who gives by grace can trust that fruit will come. Yet the blessings are not only future; they are also present. As Wiersbe notes, one immediate blessing is a fuller participation in the abundance of the Father’s grace. 2 Corinthians 9:8 is especially powerful in its emphasis on all grace, all sufficiency, and every good work. The emphasis is not on material excess, but on steady provision.
Living for His Pleasure
The contrast between Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell gives Chariots of Fire much of its emotional and spiritual depth. Abrahams is driven by anxiety and by an intense need to establish his worth through achievement. For him, victory becomes a means of securing identity and gaining the affirmation he longs for. Liddell, however, lives from an altogether different center. His life is grounded in faith, and his running is not an attempt to earn significance, but an expression of obedience to his Creator. While Abrahams seeks validation through winning, Liddell runs from gratitude, conviction, and a settled identity in God.
This contrast points to a larger truth: the Father made us for Himself, equips us to do His will, and provides what we need to fulfill His purposes. Fulfillment does not come from striving to prove our value, but from embracing the purpose for which we were created.
The apostle Paul reminds us that, as children of the King, we are called to honor God in our lives, produce spiritual fruit by doing good, and constantly seek to deepen our understanding of Him. Colossians 1:10: “The way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”
Eric Liddell’s life exemplifies this truth vividly. He ran with power because he trusted that this strength was given to him for a purpose. He experienced the Father’s pleasure by using his abilities to honor the One who gave them.
The same principle applies to every child of the King. Our deepest satisfaction is found not in asking God to advance our ambitions, but in discerning the work He has appointed for us and surrendering ourselves to it. When we live for His pleasure, we come to experience His pleasure in a profound and unmistakable way.
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© Dr. H 2026
