The Freedom of Restriction
What feels limiting at first may be the very thing that keeps you free
A daily devotional adapted from The Drive podcast
When my kids were growing up, we had a simple rule: no playing with friends after dinner on school nights. Evenings were for winding down—family time, baths, reading, and getting ready for the next day.
One night after a particularly fun afternoon, I noticed my youngest daughter, Makayla, sitting at the table with her elbow propped up, head resting in her hand, slowly pushing food around her plate. She looked defeated.
I asked, “Makayla, what’s wrong?”
With the seriousness only a five-year-old can muster, she sighed and said,
“I just want to keep playing, Dad. Why do we have to have rules?”
I smiled, because I remembered feeling the same way growing up. Rules always felt restrictive. Curfews felt unfair. Expectations felt controlling. All I wanted was freedom.
What I didn’t understand then—but understand deeply now—is this truth:
In order to be truly free, we need restriction.
Rules didn’t start with parents. They’ve been part of life from the beginning. From Adam and Eve onward, God has always paired agency with boundaries—not to control us, but to protect us.
During my years teaching teenagers, I spent countless hours explaining commandments, guidelines, and principles to students who wanted nothing more than freedom. One student in particular pushed back hard. She openly criticized religion, rules, and anything that felt controlling. We debated often—but with mutual respect. She was bright, fiery, and unforgettable.
Then one Friday, she didn’t show up.
Later that day, her mother called me—crying.
Over the weekend, her daughter had overdosed on heroin. Her “friends” left her in the gutter, afraid of getting in trouble. She survived—but with severe brain damage. When I visited her in the ICU, she was restrained to the bed, groaning, unable to control her own body.
In that moment, a scripture flooded my mind:
“They are free to choose liberty and eternal life… or to choose captivity and death.”
— 2 Nephi 2:27
She had chosen what felt like freedom—and it had taken her freedom away.
We are free to choose—but we are not free to choose the consequences of our choices.
God’s commandments are not cages. They are guardrails.
Yes, you’re free to put anything into your body—but addiction enslaves.
Yes, you’re free to ignore moral boundaries—but consequences restrict.
Yes, you’re free to treat every day like the rest—but spiritual exhaustion follows.
This is the truth I’ve learned over a lifetime:
With God, restriction always equals more.
Without God, we will find more restriction.
Jesus taught it plainly:
“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
God doesn’t restrict us to take joy away—He restricts us to protect our joy.
Today’s Daily Challenge
Think about a rule, boundary, or commandment you’ve been resisting lately.
Ask yourself honestly:
Is this really limiting me… or protecting me?
What kind of freedom might this boundary actually preserve?
Then take one small step toward honoring it today.
And if you’re a teenager—here’s a bonus challenge:
Tell your parents, “Thank you for loving me enough to give me rules.”
Then walk away and enjoy the stunned silence 😄
Thanks for taking a moment to reflect today.
For daily devotionals and episode topics:
https://joshdowns.com/daily-devotionals
For gospel-centered lessons designed specifically for teens:
https://joshdowns.com/come-follow-me-for-teens
