The Freedom to Walk Away — and Come Back

In the summer of 2021, Simone Biles stood on the world's biggest stage at the Tokyo Olympics and did something no one expected. The most decorated gymnast in history withdrew from competition. She had developed what gymnasts call "the twisties" — a terrifying condition where you lose spatial awareness mid-flight, turning every tumbling pass into a genuine danger. But beyond the physical risk, Biles later spoke about the crushing weight of expectations she had carried for years.

The world was divided. Some called her a quitter. Others called her courageous. But Biles had discovered something millions of people never find: the freedom to stop performing for an audience.

Three years later, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, she returned at twenty-seven — ancient by gymnastics standards — and won three gold medals and a silver. She did not come back to prove anyone wrong. She came back because she was finally free to compete for the right reasons.

Paul wrote to the Galatians, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." So many of us live under yokes we have mistaken for purpose — the need to perform, to please, to prove our worth. But the freedom Christ offers is not permission to quit. It is the freedom to stop earning what has already been given.

You do not have to perform for God's approval. You already have it.