The movie “Chariots of Fire,” which was released in 1981, was based on the life of Eric Liddell, a Scottish runner who won gold medals in the 1924 Paris Olympics and died in a Japanese internment camp in China before the conclusion of World War II. I saw the movie and enjoyed it. It is part of my childhood. I especially love the movie's theme song. SO INSPIRING!!!
Liddell was born into a family of missionaries. In one scene in the movie, Eric’s sister, who was always critical of him, confronts him and asks him why he is wasting his life running when he, too, could take his place in the family as a servant of faith. Liddell was, in fact, a deep believer, but he tells his sister that he will return to his missionary work in China only after he competes in the Olympics. In the movie, these are the words he used to explain himself to his sister: “I believe God made me for a purpose. He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.”
We are Jews and Jews are taught to ask questions. So my question is - מהיכי תיתי???? In Modern French - How do you know that G-d has pleasure from your fast running?? What is more likely is that YOU have pleasure from running fast and then impute that emotion unto G-d. People often conflate their own desires with the desires of G-d. People don't want to feel self serving so they invent a narrative that G-d too is pleased with them.
Now it COULD BE that G-d wanted Eric Liddell to run competitively. I don't know. He didn't tell me. Which is precisely the point. Unless Hashem tells us we have no idea what He wants.
So practically speaking, we have the Torah to tell us what Hashem wants. In the gray areas of life we can consult with a Talmid Chacham and using Torah principles as a guide, one can try to decide what Hashem wants. But we must be careful not to fool ourselves into thinking that whatever we want to do is necessarily the will of our Creator.
That being said - Being Bi-simcha is a basic sine qua non of Jewish living. So if one really has a passion for something - it could be that Hashem wants him to follow his passion.
Or better - to "run" after it.
