“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” — Matthew 6:33
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Among the many breakout and surprising performances at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a memorable one was a young French swimmer named Leon Marchand. Trained by the same coach who took Michael Phelps to all-time greatness, Marchand showed some of the same talent and competitive prowess that characterized his predecessor for so long, and the results proved it: four gold medals in four individual events.
With Phelps looking on, Marchand made a statement to the sport that he is here to win big and in style. But perhaps one of the not-so-obvious secrets that was revealed about Marchand was the importance of his turns underwater. As the field comes crashing into the wall and flips over, waves are created that churn up the water for the first few meters once you’ve turned. This can create even the slightest bit of drag and make it harder to go faster and smoother, especially if you’re trying to protect a lead or catch an opponent. Marchand said he learned a trick from watching old film of Phelps and has tried to master it himself: at the turn, go deeper into the still water; push harder at the wall, and propel yourself further into the depths of the pool. That way, you can get under the wave and pop up in clean water, giving you that extra edge of speed you’re looking for.
Author Ann Voskamp was inspired by the spiritual metaphor of this and had a beautiful take on it: “What happens under the surface is what will ultimately overcome. What decides the race of life is the inner life. When the intensity of things goes higher is when we go deeper. … The drag happens when you stay on surface. … If you’re tired of the drag, go deeper.”
One look at our busy world, and it’s not hard to see that much of our daily life happens on the surface: the surface of our workplace, our stories, our relationships. Most of us get caught in the waves when what we need most is to go deeper. Deeper into prayer, deeper into the Word, deeper into quiet and reflection, deeper into Jesus. What keeps us from losing it and getting caught in the drag of things is prioritizing what happens on the inside.
In reflecting on Psalm 42:1 — “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God” — the late Eugene Peterson put it well: “What water is to the deer, God is to me. I simply must have God. … I don’t want what’s left over from God after last week’s thundershower. I want Him fresh, flowing, living. What I learned in Sunday school in the third grade will not satisfy me. What I read in the Bible last week will not satisfy me. What someone told me this morning on television or radio will not quench my thirst. I want to get to the water myself. I must have God.”
If you’re just living life on the surface, perhaps it’s time to go deeper. To dive into the living waters of salvation and discover what’s underneath. By getting into the quiet, clear waters and going below the waves, you can meet God in the stillness and find the peace, the momentum that translates into a winning life.
— Katherine Singer
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