Two people were given balloons. They were filled with air but not helium. They were given simple instructions: don't let it touch the floor and you can't hold it with one hand for longer than a second.

The first person began focusing their attention on the balloon, tapping it to keep it up. Tap, tap, tap, with vigilant effort they kept the balloon bouncing up and down.

The other volunteer began to tap it, but they weren't just tapping it to keep it up. They tapped it over in the direction of a door in another room. They walked while they tapped and moved it over to another room.

When they returned their balloon was floating high, filled with helium.

The first person said, “That's not fair!”

The second replied, “The instructions were only to keep the balloon in the air and only touch it with one hand for no longer than a second. I was able to follow both of those rules as I filled it up with helium.”

At first glance, the first person’s attempt of tapping away at it can seem nobler. Yet the second person’s strategy would last far longer with less effort and would undoubtedly win the day. You can only tap for so long.

In our lives, we try to do things the hard way, often because we think it's the only way. However, when we re-evaluate and take a step back, we can see that there are sometimes much easier and better ways to approach a problem.

Before Christ, there were many commandments and rules that faithful people needed to follow. With Christ we now have the great commandment: love the Lord with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.