“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” – 1 John 4:8
The Bible makes this one thing very clear: God is love. We’re not talking about some half-hearted, conditional love; we’re talking about the real deal. Now, here’s the kicker—we were created by God and for God. But here’s where it gets interesting.
To experience true love, you need something crucial—free will. Without it, love becomes nothing more than a robotic, scripted display. Imagine if my kids had drawstrings on their backs, programmed to utter, “I love you Dad” every time I pulled it. That scenario? Not heartwarming at all.
As a dad, what makes those “I love you” moments special is knowing that my kids have free will. They can decide on their own. It’s not a programmed response; it’s a genuine choice. When they choose to hug my neck and say, “I love you,” it means the world.
You see, true love always involves a choice. That’s precisely why God created us with free will. It adds depth, authenticity, and meaning to the love relationship between us and Him.
But, here’s the twist, humanity hasn’t always wielded this gift wisely. From the get-go, back to Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis, we’ve misused our free will. We’ve turned away from God, rejecting His guidance. And this decision birthed two kinds of evils: Moral evil and Natural evil.
It’s a tough pill to swallow. Our misuse of free will introduced a world tainted by both moral and natural evils. Yet, in the midst of this, God’s love shines through. He gave us the incredible gift of choice, even knowing we might sometimes choose poorly.
So, here we are, navigating the complexities of a world marked by our choices. But in the midst of it all, remember that God’s love remains steadfast. And as we embrace our free will, may we choose to draw closer to the One who is Love.