Keep it Simple

In the 1994 Winter Olympics, held in Norway, twenty-three-year-old Tommy Moe of the United States won the gold on the men’s downhill. It was “a beautifully controlled run,” said William Oscar Johnson in Sports Illustrated, “on which he held tucks and thrust his hands forward in perfect form at places where others had stood up and flailed their arms.”

After his victory, Tommy Moe explained his thought processes. “I kept it simple,” he said, “focused on skiing, not on winning, not on where I’d place. I remembered to breathe—sometimes I don’t.”

The winner of the gold medal in the Olympics had to remember the most basic of basics: breathing! He kept it simple.

Likewise, as we seek to foster a flourishing life, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know where we win or lose. Spiritual strength depends on the basics. We need to make sure we’re breathing in the things of the Spirit.