Chariots of Fire (Who am I? Series, Part 3) with Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney
Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney conclude the 3 week “Who am I?” series with Chariots of Fire. We compare the source of identity between Abrahams, who sought greatness through running, and Little, who measured greatness through following God. We must find our contentment outside ourselves and our circumstances so that, win or lose, we know who we are and experience God’s smile on our lives. Lace em up, and let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.
Quotes
“See where your true chance of greatness lies. Seize it. And let no power or persuasion keep you from it.”
Fighting from anger and to prove yourself can only take you so far. It can’t give you a life.
He hasn’t just lost the race, but lost his identity.
Most of us relate to feeling lost when we lose.
We try to do more in order to be more. But that over striding causes us to become less of who we honestly want to be.
Little could win, or lose, and it didn’t really matter, because his goal was to feel God’s pleasure.
“God makes kings, and God makes kingdoms, and I’m going to do what He tells me to do.”
Little stood for what was right and God made a way.
You will look arrogant when you stand up for what you believe.
There are consequences to our integrity.
We can endure any circumstance with contentment through Christ.
It’s one thing to lose. But what if I win and it doesn’t change anything?
Unless you find contentment, you’re not going to be happy anywhere. But if you can find contentment within, you will be able to enjoy the externals.
We have to find our identity in something that’s beyond the situation, beyond the temporary.
Themes
Third part of the Who am I? series (Ford vs Ferrari-When the car gets to 7,000 RPM, who am I? The Weight of Gold-Michael Phelps asks, “When I’m outside the pool, who am I?” Chariots of Fire-comparison of the source of identity between Abrahams and Little)
World War I was an opportunity for men to go and prove their greatness. Abrahams didn’t get the opportunity to prove himself on the battlefield, so he committed to proving himself in athletics.
We have a sacred duty to put our gifts to good use. It is false humility to deny what you’re good at.
Little started out as a warrior, a rugby player. He could stand up for what he believed in.
Contrast between Abrahams and Little: Abrahams ran to prove himself, to ease an ache, in anger. Little ran for the joy he felt. Before the race, Abrahams says, “May the best man win.” Little says, “Best of success to you.”
Other’s success does not diminish your performance.
Abrahams was only after the winning (“If I can’t win, I won’t run.”). Little has a different attitude towards it (“When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”)
Abrahams needed two people to overcome the lie that life is all about achievement and accomplishment: Sybil (his girlfriend) and Sam (his mentor). If he didn’t have those people, he wouldn’t have won at life.
Our journeys are about coming to grips with the truth.
Following God doesn’t always equate to everyone agreeing with us. Little had to deal with everyone around him telling him what ministry should look like.
You’ve got to enjoy the experience and beauty of what’s around you.
We have to be sensitive to other people’s consciences. We must allow them (and ourselves) the integrity to live according to our conscience.
Abrahams pursued greatness through running. Little’s pursuit of greatness was following God.
Aubrey as the complete man: brave, compassionate, kind, content.
Abrahams sought contentment through winning, but then was afraid that it wouldn’t come with the victory. “What if I win and I’m still not enough?”
We need a community around us to mentor us into contentment.
Resources
“Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of.” - C.S. Lewis
Parable of the talents: “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” -Matthew 25:14-30
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” -Philippians 4:10-13
“You have love righteousness and hate wickedness: therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy” -Hebrews 1:9
“He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.” -Isaiah 53:3
Questions
What is your chance at greatness?
Have you seized your chance at greatness, or has something snatched it from you?
What is true greatness?
What gifts do you have? What are you good at? How do you put them to good use?
What do you do to prove you belong?
Where do you experience God’s pleasure in what you do? When do you feel His smile on you?
When you lose, what does that say about you?
How does performance validate or invalidate you?
Is your identity based on winning and losing?
Where do you find success and validation in the world you live in? Schedule? Money? Kid’s behavior?
When do you feel unmoored?
How are you over-striding? Where should you shorten your stride to actually be able to run faster?
Who is in your life to provide emotional or practical guidance and direction?
How do you look at God as a spoil-sport?
Where do you find joy and beauty in your life?
Where do you find contentment?
In what setting do you feel the need to justify your existence? Work? Performance? Activities?
Where have you achieved a dream only to find that it didn’t complete you?
Where you feel like if you had something you would be happy? What is that thing?
Is your life telling the story that God wants it to tell? Does anything need to change?