Chariots of Fire won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1982. It depicted the true story of Eric Liddell winning the gold medal in the 1924 Olympic Games. In one scene the twenty-two-year-old Eric explains his passion for running to his disapproving sister, who thought running was a waste of time compared to entering missionary service in China. He said, “When I run, I feel His (referring to God) pleasure.” Liddell knew God had made him fast for a reason and the Olympics were his calling in 1924.

What you might not know, was that after winning the Gold Medal, the mission field in China and suffering for Jesus’ sake was Liddell’s next calling. His missionary service in China ended up in a POW camp in 1944 during WW2. Winston Churchill negotiated his freedom from that camp but this famous prisoner of war gave up his freedom to allow a pregnant prisoner to be released. Eric Liddell died a few months later at that camp. Chariots of Fire ends with these brief words about Eric’s life after the Olympics: “Eric Liddell, missionary, died in occupied China at the end of World War II. All of Scotland mourned.”

Eric Liddell wasn't just a notable historic figure because of what he "did," but more importantly because of who he "was" at the core of his being. He was a man of great faith and conviction, who simply lived true to the calling of whom God made him to be.

Kent Crockett, in his book MAKING TODAY COUNT FOR ETERNITY, shares the story of Kent and Barbara Hughes and their experience with their children one Christmas season. Their daughter Holly had landed the lead role in her school’s Christmas program. It was a challenging role which she performed brilliantly to the applause of both her parents and audience. Their son, who struggled with significant learning disabilities, was given a very minor role—just four lines—in his class’ program.

In the weeks leading up to the programs, the entire family, including the daughter, who had her own script full of lines to learn, had to take every opportunity to help the young boy work on his lines. Tried as he might, he just wasn’t able to memorize his four, short lines.

When the night of the program came, the young lad took a deep breath and delivered his lines without faltering.

With whom were the parents more pleased? The daughter who had many lines and a starring role, or the son who had few lines and a minor part? Obviously, they were equally pleased with the efforts of both their children.

A housewife spends 18 hrs of her day cooking and cleaning and changing diapers and kissing boo boos. A business man spends 12 hrs of his commuting to and working for a company in a high pressure job just to be sure he keeps a roof over his family's head. Yet both settle down at the end of the day and say, "Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing anything for God."

This, according to Kent Crockett, raises a critical question, "What makes God smile?" He suggests that most of us have a "sneaking suspicion that God likes our work only if we do it inside a church building."

In answer to the question, he posits, from the average Joe's perspective, a hierarchy of God-pleasers:

• Missionaries to Africa (big smile)
• All other missionaries
• Pastors of large churches
• Pastors of medium-sized churches (medium smile)
• Pastors of small churches
• Elders and deacons
• Sunday school teachers
• Successful businesspeople (small smile)
• People who work at secular jobs
• Night watchmen, custodians, stay-at-home mothers (no smile)

Kent Crockett graduated from Texas A&M University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is the senior pastor of the Church of Living Water in Prattville, Alabama. He is the author of The 911 Handbook, Making Today Count for Eternity, and I Once Was Blind but Now I Squint, and has been published in a number of Christian magazines.