When I was a kid, I remember standing at a store counter with my dad. Behind the counter sat a tray full of cash. No one was watching. No one was nearby. It would have been so easy.

I remember thinking, "Dinner's on me tonight." I could picture taking my parents and all ten of my siblings out to Olive Garden.

So I leaned over and said to my dad, "We could just reach over and take that money right now and totally get away with it."

What he said next stuck with me.

"Just because you can get away with something doesn't mean you should."

I've carried that with me for years.

Because the truth is—we can get away with a lot. There are countless ways to cut corners, bend the rules, and take shortcuts. But Jesus calls us to something better. Not just a list of rules, but a different way of living.

At first, that can feel restrictive. But it's actually freeing.

If my goal is simply to follow every rule perfectly, I'm going to fail. I know myself—I'm a natural rule-bender. What I need isn't more rules. I need a better direction.

And Jesus gives us one:

Matthew 22:37–38 (ESV)
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment."

When that becomes the focus, everything changes.

I'm no longer asking, "How close can I get to the line?"
Instead, I'm asking, "How can I love God more in this moment?"

Love becomes the guide.

When I love God, I want to follow His ways—not out of fear, but out of freedom. Even when I stumble, I know I'm still loved. Still welcomed. Still being shaped.

I was reading in First Samuel about David and Saul. Saul was chasing David, trying to kill him. Then, in a surprising moment, Saul entered a cave—unaware that David and his men were hiding inside.

David's men saw it as a perfect opportunity.

1 Samuel 24:4 (ESV)
"Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand…'"

Everything lined up. It made sense. David could have taken the throne right then.

Instead, he cut off a corner of Saul's robe—and even that troubled his heart.

1 Samuel 24:6 (ESV)
"The LORD forbid that I should do this thing… to put out my hand against the LORD's anointed."

David chose restraint.

Not because he couldn't act—but because he loved God and trusted His timing.

That's the invitation for us, too.

Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should.

So instead of asking, "Can I get away with this?"
Let's ask, "Does this reflect my love for God?"

That question leads to freedom.