There is this concept that has been confusing people for thousands of years: the concept of free will. This idea that an all-powerful, all-knowing God allows his highly beloved children to roam the Earth making their own decisions really worries people. You have to think why? Why would a holy and loving God let us wander through life, experience pain, struggle, and most importantly fail to acknowledge His own existence? If God really loves us that much and wants us to love Him back, why wouldn’t He just make us love Him?

When we look into the past and even into some cultures today, we see this concept of arranged marriages. These marriages are formed on very different basis than what we are used to. Instead of a couple meeting naturally, falling in love, and getting married, in arranged marriages, strangers are usually forced upon each other because of money, family ties, and religious backgrounds. Now, it’s not to say that these couples can’t have a genuine love for each other and learn to live happy lives together, but how much more special is a relationship when a couple chooses one another not because they have to, but because they love each other.

God loves us more than we could ever imagine, and His love for us is so authentic and pure that He won’t force us to love Him back. He will on the other hand do things to display His greatness and love, in an effort to draw us to Him. Kind of like when you have a crush on someone, you figure out subtle ways to be seen by the person you like, such as hanging out in places where they hang out, or making an effort to meet their friends; God orchestrates things in our life to make Himself known to us. God has been displaying His love to us since the beginning of time, but often we are too blind to notice. It might be through an event in your life, a person, or an unanswered question, God uses natural things to point us to His supernatural love. Ultimately, God gave us free will to make the decision to follow Him because He is confident that His love and a relationship with Him is far greater than anything else in the world.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:10-13

 “The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3

God, I thank you for loving me with a steadfast love. Lord, help me to know you, help me to seek you out with my whole life, and I pray God that you would reveal yourself to me. I want to serve you with my whole life and praise you with my entire heart. Thank you for your never-ending love and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, Amen!